


A New Story

by adrift_thoughts



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Cute, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gay, LGBTQ Character, Light Angst, Mates, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:08:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 37,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25047424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrift_thoughts/pseuds/adrift_thoughts
Summary: Essentially follows the plot of Twilight with some changes throughout the story. Isabella Swan, a vampire/human hybrid, moves to Forks to live with surrogate father, Charlie Swan. She does not expect to move a small town and meet Rosalie Cullen.Summary kinda sucks. This is my first fic, thought it would be fun to try something new during Covid. So lemme know any thoughts, especially how to improve!
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Rosalie Hale/Bella Swan
Comments: 95
Kudos: 683





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own these characters or the plot of Twilight. Thought it would be interesting to have a Rosalie and Bella pairing.

Chapter 1: Bella POV

I officially hated airports. I’ve never been particularly fond of them, but today makes me want to avoid them for the rest of my life, my vampire life. Well, at least half vampire life.

Usually highly sensitive hearing and smell were a blessing, however, airports manage to transform them into detriments. Airports are a culmination of sweat, blood, and fast food grease with the constant cacophony of thousands of humans rushing to catch their flight; a migraine waiting to happen. Normally, a direct flight from Phoenix to Seattle would be no more than 3 hours. However, the flight had been delayed due to the adverse weather conditions surrounding the northwestern region. It took over 4 hours of waiting at the gate before the pilot deemed it safe to fly, making me regret not driving.

At this point, I was ready to call this entire trip off and stay in Phoenix, but I couldn’t do that to Charlie. It had been almost 2 years since he'd made a trip down to Arizona, his position as sheriff does not allow him to travel often. Then add the fact that I couldn’t come up to Forks without making people suspicious about my accelerated growth. It’d be quite odd if one summer a 4 year old visited him, and then the next year a 7 year old appeared. So we had to wait and see if it looked like I stopped aging at some point, as there was a decline as I got older. It’s been about 4 years since I stopped having visible changes, or at least visible to humans. My actual age finally matched my appearance for the first time since birth.

After 3 extremely tedious hours of being stuck behind a crying baby and next to a conceited guy who can’t take no for an answer, the plane finally landed. I rapidly got off the plane, ignoring the jerk’s last attempt to get my number. I texted Charlie about my arrival as I searched for the closest exit out of the airport. I didn’t need to worry about luggage, since I shipped it out earlier this week in order to avoid any extra hassle. Thank god.

As I stepped out into the crisp cool air, I closed my eyes and deeply inhaled the fresh scents of the forest, of its recently rained upon fauna. Had I landed when I was supposed to land, I would’ve taken my time to enjoy the views on my way to Forks. Unfortunately, I couldn’t, so I took one last calming breath, and I started to run.  
I skidded to a stop at the end of the street of the address Charlie texted me. I strolled up to a quaint soft yellow-painted house with a police cruiser parked in front, next to a monstrous red chipped chevy truck. I heard a constant faint thudding with an occasional snore. My mind immediately formed a plan. Pranking Charlie was one of my favorite pastimes. I snuck into the house quite easily, considering Charlie left the door unlocked for me. I followed his heartbeat, finding myself in what appears to be a living room. Charlie was stretched across the worn couch, the TV playing a baseball game on mute. I took the remote and blasted the television sound, placing the remote on the ground as if it fell. Charlie suddenly bolted straight up on the couch, frantically scanning around the living room. Once I heard his heartbeat revert back to a calm steady beat, I sprinted to the living room once again.

“Boo!,” I screeched. And Charlie actually let out a high pitched scream, like a girl. My body shook with uncontrollable laughter as I dropped to the ground and rolled around the carpeted floor.

“Goddammit Bella! You shouldn’t do that to an old man. You almost gave me a heart attack,” he huffed, attempting to catch his breath. “Anyways, come on,” he motioned me closer, “give your old man a hug before he dies of a weak heart.”

I pointed my finger in his direction, as I got closer. “Hey, you regretting my stay already? We’ve only been planning this since I can remember,” I teased him as I went in for a hug. I breathed in his familiar scent of pine and leather.

“Yeah, Yeah, I’m not so sure about this anymore. I don’t know how you turned out to be such a troublemaker. ‘Cuz it’s clearly not from me,” he joked. “Well, let me show you around and give you the scoop for tomorrow.”

“You sure you can handle that or do you need help up the stairs, old geezer?,” I retorted. He makes the motion to swat me, but before he can, I run away laughing.

After the quick house tour, Charlie informed me that I have to be careful. Apparently, there’s a vampire coven of seven living in Forks, five of whom attend Forks High School. He explained that their diet of animal blood allowed them to control their thirst and be able to be among humans. He also reminded me about the Quileute shifters, not that there should be issues. Coming to Forks, I expected two years of normal American high school, not to be in the middle of some kind of supernatural world. I’ve only met one other vampire and according to Pierre, there’s no knowledge of the existence of half vampires. He didn’t even think it was possible for a vampire to impregnate a woman, much less not kill her in the process; an enigma, really. Charlie didn’t advise me not to interact with the Cullens, just to be careful. He told me that the decision was mine to make about how I was going to interact with them. He knows about my curiosity regarding vampires, since my friendships have only been limited to humans and with Pierre. Rapid aging did not bode well with maintaining long term friendships.

So this could be my chance, I just don’t know how.


	2. Two

Chapter 2: Bella POV

I was strangely calm this morning. Usually three hours of sleep are enough to be restful, but I slept for five this time. So waking up to my alarm was new. I still hadn’t decided on what to do with the Cullens. Should I introduce myself or should I just attempt to make friends with humans? It was too much to think about at the moment so I hurried and dressed quickly. I pulled on a pair of ripped skinny black pants, a white shirt layered with a dark wash denim jacket, and my good old skate high vans. Looking at myself in the mirror and deciding my hair was a mess, I grabbed a beanie and went downstairs in search of food.

I found Charlie making breakfast: bacon and eggs. Normally, I ate human food due to the convenience, but I sometimes treated myself to blood. Renee had a connection at the hospital back in Phoenix that would somehow get blood bags for her, no questions asked. However, Charlie has no connections here in Forks, so maybe I’ll try the animal blood diet; another reason for me to try and form friendships with the Cullens.

“Ready for school, kid?,” he questioned, settling his coffee mug on the small scratched up wooden table. He motioned for me to sit down in the chair across from him.

“I mean as ready as I’ll ever be. I’m more ready about the social aspect of school, and more specifically, the Cullens,” I lamented, before plopping in the seat across from. I started shoving the eggs into my mouth.

He took a sip of his coffee before rubbing his five o’clock shadow. “The only thing that I can tell you is that they keep to themselves. So it might be slightly difficult for you to get close to them since you appear human.” I sighed deeply, but he motioned that he wasn’t finished yet, “But, I don’t think it would be impossible. You can find a way to reveal yourself to them. I’ve met Carlisle, and I can guarantee they won’t harm you.” He got up and stretched, and walked towards the sink to place his mug.

I pushed my plate away and buried my head in my arms. “Why is making friends so hard?”

“I know this won’t make things easier, but I do have a surprise.” Charlie reached into his front pocket and pulled out some keys. Without any warning, he tossed them to me. My vampire side luckily kicked in and instinctually caught the keys, which were heading directly towards my face.

It took a moment for me to make the connection. Once the dots connected, I could feel a smile forming. “I’m assuming that the red pile of junk is my truck,” I joked, managing to get a chuckle out of him.

“Anyways, it's time for you to head over to school, you ungrateful daughter,” he said while shaking his head.

I gave him a hug before I made my way out of the house and towards the truck. I hopped in and shut the door. The seats smelled of cigarette smoke and cleaning spray and felt worn in. The truck had character, I’ll give that to Charlie. I inputted the school’s address into the GPS, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was only a 5 minute ride.

I pulled into the parking lot, 10 minutes before the bell was set to ring. I grabbed the backpack that Charlie filled with school supplies and headed over to the administration building. When I walked in, I was instantly greeted by an older woman sitting in front of a computer.

“Are you Isabella Swan?”

I cringed at hearing my full name. “Just Bella is fine, ma’am.” While she looked for my schedule on her desk, she continued to make small talk.

“I didn’t even know Chief Swan had a daughter. No one knew, actually. The entire school is excited to have someone new, so you should make friends pretty easily, and …” at that point she handed me my schedule.

I whispered a quick thank you and exited the building, almost using my vampire speed, not waiting to hear the rest of her small talk. I glanced down at my schedule and noticed that I have AP English, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Government, AP French and Art III; lunch in between government and French. It should be a really easy load since I already know all of the information going to be taught.

“Hey! You’re Isabella Swan, right?” The question being followed by a quick and blinding flash. A dark-haired boy extended his right hand. “I’m Eric Chang, a member of the school’s journalism club. I want to do a whole article on you, since we don’t get many new kids in Forks.”

“It’s Bella. And I prefer staying in the background, so can you maybe not focus the article on me, please?,” I practically begged. I smiled, attempting to change his mind. However, he just stood there and continued to gaze at me.

The bell rang, snapping him out of whatever it was. “Um, yeah, for sure,” Eric stuttered. “No worries, I won’t. Let me see your schedule,” he said and I handed him the paper with my classes. “Oh cool, we have second and fourth period together. But my first class is right next door to yours, so let me help you.” And with that he began going on a tangent about the teachers I have and I tried to nod along at the appropriate times as I studied the layout of the school.

After Mr. Peele sent Eric off to his own class as he wouldn’t stop talking, he made me fumble my way through an introduction to the entire class. Never had I experienced the intense blood rushing to my cheeks. The rest of the period, I sat in the back trying to ignore all the whispers about me and the people attempting to start a conversation with me, while the teacher rambled on about Macbeth.

The bell (finally) rang, releasing me from this torture. One class in and I already wanted to die rather than face another teacher’s monologue, making me wonder why the Cullens would willingly put themselves through this. Before being able to reach the door, Eric was already talking about the friends he is going to introduce me to during lunch.

When we entered our class, he went to his assigned seat, leaving me to stand awkwardly until the teacher took notice of me. Luckily, he just sent me to the only open seat without an introduction. As I turned to head to the lab desk, I felt some sort of prodding in my head. It distracted me enough that I failed to notice that my partner was a Cullen, or I thought he was one of them due to his pale complexion. And the fact that he lacked a heartbeat. He was actually pretty cute, in a moody/angsty kind of way. His light brown wind-tousled hair with his sharp chiseled features made it kind of obvious why I heard so many girls gush about him in short time I've been here.

I dropped my backpack on the floor and sat on the open stool. “Hey, I’m Bella,” I softly introduced myself. His stiff posture relaxed slightly as he took an experimental whiff of my scent. However, his face pinched in confusion and the abrupt change had me stifling a snicker. He was expecting to struggle with my blood, rather than the weak, almost imperceptible fragrance. Pierre thought it was due to being half vampire, but he still held some reservations about that.

“Edward.” The prodding eased when he spoke, but immediately returned. It was a weird sensation, as if someone was looking for an entrance to my mind, and it wouldn’t relent. I begin to open my mouth, wanting to know about Edward, or the Cullens in general, but before being able to speak the teacher started his lecture. He droned on and on about the stages of mitosis, a topic I had no real interest in. My entire focus stayed on the stupid prodding. The only idea involved Edward, since the prodding only started in this class, and he was the only other supernatural present.

“So work with your partners to identify the stages of mitosis on the slides. This will test your skills on a microscope and your knowledge of mitosis. Don’t worry if you guys don’t finish, we’ll continue tomorrow,” Mr. Torres directed.

I reached towards the microscope and observed the slide. “Prophase,” I stated with confidence.

He signaled towards the microscope. “May I?” he asked in a soft timbre. And once again, the prodding ceased. So, it must be in connection with Edward.  
“Prophase,” Edward concurred and then he changed the slide. “Anaphase.” He slid the microscope to me, inviting me to check.

“Anaphase.” It continued until we finished the assignment. I glanced around the class and noticed that we were the only pair to finish. I was about to talk to him, but the incessant stimulus started up again. “Can you stop that?,” I whispered harshly and glared in his direction.

His head snapped up, his face scrunching up in shock and confusion, but he quickly recollected his emotions. Before he was able to respond, the bell rang and I made my escape. I didn’t even wait for Eric, making him speed up to catch up with me.

My mind stayed occupied with the fact that my initial assessment of the “mysterious” prodding originated from Edward Cullen. For that reason, AP Government resulted in a blur. I just couldn’t figure out what he was attempting to do, much less how.

Eventually I found myself seated at a table with Eric’s friends: Angela, Jessica, Lauren, and Mike. The only person I could see myself actually enjoying spending time with was Angela. She seemed sweet and genuine. Lauren and Jessica gave me the impression that they only wanted to gossip, especially given that Edward actually spoke to me. Mike was the worst of all of them. I can handle gossip and snarky jabs, but Mike could not take a hint. I’ve been trying to ignore all his flirting attempts and the glare Jessica keeps sending my way. It didn’t help that I could also sense the five pairs of eyes from the table behind me.

“Why are the Cullens staring at you, Bella? Did you do something to Edward?,” Jessica inquired, excited at the prospect of fresh gossip.

“Umm, the Cullens? As in more than one?,” I deflected, knowing that Cullens could hear this conversation.

Lauren scoffed. “I can’t believe you don’t know THE Cullens. They’re only the hottest students.”

Jessica nodded her head fervently. “Yeah, but no one’s good enough for them. So don’t even try with Edward.” Yup someone was definitely still bitter over the rejection.

“Thanks for the heads up, but I’m not looking to be in a relationship right now. So how many are they?,” I tried to ignore the shock on Jessica and Lauren’s faces, and the disappointment on Mike’s. Eric and Angela seemed the least unaffected.

Lauren snapped out of her shock and began to go into detail. “Well you already met Edward, so there’s one. Emmett is the bodybuilder-looking one. The football coach has tried everything to convince him to join the team, but he’s refused every time. Alice is the tiny pixie-like one. Jasper is the one that looks like he’s always in pain. And Rosalie is the blonde, bitchy one.” I tried to turn subtly, but failed miserably as I made direct contact with Rosalie’s amber eyes. An incredible scent of honey and lilac enveloped me, making it hard to look away. However, I finally did and I tried to stop the blush spreading across my face. “She thinks she is better than anyone, just because of her beauty,” she finished off with a proud smile.

“They’re just weird and antisocial. Plus Jasper and Alice are together together,” Jessica chimes in.

“Hey it’s not fair to make those assumptions. We don’t know them, we’ve never spoken to them,” Angela protested. I knew there was a reason I liked her.

Lauren immediately bulldozed over her. “All I know is that if I’m a couple in my late 20s, I would never adopt 5 teens. And IF I did, I would never let them be a couple. That’s beyond weird, it’s wrong.”

“But they’re not actually related. Rosalie and Jasper are, but not Alice,” Eric stated in an attempt to help Angela. But it didn’t stop Lauren and Jessica from talking.

I couldn’t take it anymore. It’s stupid. I don’t understand how people are so quick to judge when they have no idea who people are. Jealousy and envy emotions are nasty emotions that are the basis of most gossip. It made me angry, because I’ve already heard several versions as to why Charlie never mentioned a daughter. Ranging from hating me to raping a woman and attempting to hide it.

“Stop! I don’t want to hear any of it. By the sound of it, you two don’t know them, so you don’t get to judge. You think I haven’t already heard the rumors about me and my father, that I know originated with you two,” I paused to take a deep breath, aware that the entire cafeteria was watching in silence. I also heard a soft “Hot damn” from the direction of the Cullens. “People are allowed to keep things to themselves. And just because they do, it doesn’t automatically mean that it's evil or shameful. So I’m done talking to both of you.” With that, I grabbed my stuff and left as the bell rang.

I was still fuming throughout AP French, no one tried to talk to me. My resting bitch face didn’t stop them from gossiping, if anything it fueled it even more. I didn’t realize how much school truly sucked, I guess the movies had it right for once.

Wandering the halls looking for my art class while attempting to not appear lost was difficult. But I was finally able to stumble my way to the right classroom. Mrs. Carson greeted me at the door and guided me inside. At five feet 3 inches, this thin grey-haired lady with an apron covered in paint and a soft, kind voice instantly soothed my annoyance from earlier. She seems so excited to have me here, gushing about the projects she planned over winter break. She handed me a sketchbook, a pencil, and an eraser, sending me to an open seat next to a petite girl who is completely focused on her sketch.

Before I was able to start sketching, a sweet melodic voice introduced herself. “Hello. I’m Alice Cullen. I believe you’ve met my brother, Edward, earlier today.”

“Umm, hi. Yes, Edward is my bio partner. Oh and I’m Bella. Bella Swan. It’s nice to meet you.”

The corners of her mouth raised into a smile and her eyes glinted. “I think everyone knows your name, especially after lunch. Thanks, by the way. You’re the first to say anything.”

Blood instantly spread to my face. “No problem. It wasn’t just for you,” I admitted.

“Hey, whether it was for us or not doesn’t matter. Thank you. You stood up against them, which is major.” She smiled, displaying straight bright teeth. “I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends.” I waited for her to elaborate, but she just went back to sketching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to update on a weekly basis!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is Rosalie POV.

Chapter 3: Rosalie

Alice had been unbearable since her vision, two nights ago, talking nonstop about her excitement of going back to school. Something about a change in our lives. She had only been saying very vague statements and whenever one of us asked what she saw, Alice would just smile and shrug.

On the drive to school, I managed to discover that she was not exactly sure what exactly was going to happen, but that didn’t damper her excitement. Alice admitted that her vision was too blurry to decipher, just that she had a good feeling about the change.

“Stop overthinking, Rose,” Alice chided, as we entered the school’s parking lot. “You’re making Jasper anxious.”

Embarrassment and guilt flooded my body. “Sorry Jasper.” Almost instantly a sense of calm washed over my body, allowing me to relax. I sent Jasper a small grateful smile. As we headed to our classes, I noticed a new truck, if you could even call it that. It looked like a death trap, ready to fall apart at any given moment. My mind rapidly took to figuring out how to repair the truck and excitement coursed through my body at the prospect of a challenge. I had to restrain myself from going and popping the hood to take a look at the engine.

“What are you drooling over?” Emmett asked while putting his arm around my shoulders. I was so occupied with my thoughts that I didn’t realize that the others caught up with us.

“None of your business.” I shoved his arm off, annoyed at myself for being caught off guard.

“She’s drooling over that red piece of junk we just passed,” Edward supplied.

This inflamed my anger, lighting fire to gasoline. “Get out of my head, Edward!,” I growled at him. I quickened my steps, strongly pushing the boundaries of a human pace, and leaving the group behind. The crowd of students parted like the Red Sea,their instincts knowing it was in their best interest. He knows how much I hate it when he listens to my thoughts, even more when he answers for me. I know that he struggles to control his power, but he could at least withhold the thoughts to himself. It would give me some pretense of privacy.

Because of my fuming, it took me a moment to realize the increased amount of chatter, especially this early in the morning. If I learned anything these past years is the fact that high school students are useless sloths before lunch. So this was new.

Isabella Swan, the Chief’s daughter; the common thread in all of their conversations. It slipped my mind that she was arriving, which explained both the red truck and the surge in chatter with two questions dominating the gossip: Is she hot? And why did Chief Swan never mention he had a daughter? The latter consisted of the most speculations and theories, serving as a reminder as to why humans annoy me so much. So I attempted to ignore them as I always did.

It was the same in each of my classes, but at that point I got an answer to the former question. Almost all the boys wagered on them being the first to take her for a “spin”, confident that it wouldn't take longer than a week. Hormonal teenage boys never failed to disgust me. I felt relieved when the bell rang, I needed a break from these idiots. Maybe I could convince the others to leave early.

As I sat down at our table, Alice looked at me directly and emphatically said “No, we’re staying. And before you ask - I saw your decision.” I looked at Emmett and Jasper, but they just shrugged their shoulders. I don’t even bother looking at Edward, still upset with his intrusion.

“I agree with Rosalie. We need to talk, now,” Edward urged. It wasn’t odd for him to be demanding, but he seemed genuinely concerned about something. So I decided to be annoyed at him later.

However, Alice didn’t budge. “No. We can talk here. It’s not like anyone can hear us.”

I guess Edward read Alice’s mind and decided there was no persuading her otherwise, because he sighed dramatically and plopped down in his seat. “Fine.”

“So what’s the big deal, Eddie?,” curiosity clear in Emmett’s voice as well as a hint of worry.

“I can’t read her mind and I think she knows something,” Edward exclaimed before going into detail about his interaction with her. Edward’s retelling of the events took no longer than a minute, but his bickering with Alice and distressed rambling took so much longer that I lost interest.

Still listening, I glanced toward her table and I instantly found the topic of Edward’s concern sitting at an angle at the table across from ours. I can see why she captured the attention of every boy and girl at this school. She’s beautiful in a girl-next-door kind of way, which made her approachable. A heart-shaped face with delicate features and rich coffee doe-eyes assisted in making her soft and kind. Then add her slim figure with slight curves in the right places, that would make every human girl jealous. It was probably the reason why Lauren and Jessica were acting more snarky than usual. It was then that I caught her attempting to look over her us in a subtle manner. Just before she turned back around, everything stopped and became quiet. I made eye contact and I was rooted in my stop, transfixed by her. A heavenly scent of lavender and rosemary surrounded me which contradicted Edward’s statement of her scent being weak. At this moment I felt as though she was the only one in the room, but it was quickly over when she looked away.

Speechless at what just occurred, I tried shaking the sensation off. I zoned back in the conversation at hand in an attempt to forget and decided to step in. “You’re probably just paranoid Edward. I admit that is strange that she can block you, but I doubt she’s more dangerous than any other human. As long as we keep away from her, she won't be an issue.”

Just as he was going to retort, we heard Bella’s voice rise above everyone else’s. “Stop! I don’t want to hear any of it. By the sound of it, you two don’t know them, so you don’t get to judge.” Once she finished her rant, she stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving everyone in shock. It took a moment after the bell rang, before students were able to snap themselves out of the silent stupor. Emmett was impressed, letting out a soft “goddamn” in awe.

I turned to face Alice and Edward and raised my eyebrow in question. She had a victorious smirk on her face, while he scowled like a petulant child. “So it’s safe to say that Alice is not going to ignore the girl?”

She flashed me a giant smile. “Yup,” popping the p obnoxiously. “I have a good feeling about her.”

“I hope you know you’re making a mistake, Alice. Nothing good can come from interacting with a human. Especially one that potentially knows something,” Edward warned before he walked away.

“I think she seems cool and would be such a fun friend! I already thought of a nickname for her. Maybe she plays video games!,” Emmett chimed in with his usual cheery exuberance.

My mind was at odds. I think the best choice is to stay away, but for some reason it felt wrong. Ultimately I shoved that feeling aside. “I’m with Edward for once. If she ends up finding out something, you’re putting this entire family in jeopardy.”

Alice grabbed my hand, halting my movement. “Rose, trust me. Endangering all of us is the last thing I want to do. You know I would never do this unless I trust my feelings 100%. Please believe me?,” she begged while making her best puppy face.

“Fine,” I huffed. She squealed and started to vibrate in place. “But” -I interrupted- “if I believe she’s going to find out, then you back off. Deal?”

She rolled her eyes, a small smile forming on her face. “Deal. Although I don’t know why you would bet against me. Haven’t you learned by now?” She darted to my side and gave me a peck on the cheek, and scattered away. I just shook my head and started walking to my next class with Emmett in tow.

I didn’t understand why Alice and Emmett were ready to throw caution in the wind just to interact with a human. Although as much as I hate to admit it, there was something different about her. Her beauty almost seemed unnatural like that of a vampire, no blemishes or flaws to be found. And as much as Edward got on my nerves, he did seem to have a point. Him not being able to listen to her thoughts was one thing, but for her to be aware of it, proved to be suspicious.

On the drive back home, Alice went into a detailed explanation of her interaction with Bella in her art class. She was ecstatic that someone shared her passion for art and a talent that rivaled her own.

I scoffed. “How hard can it be to sketch a simple flower?”

“Rosalie, you don’t understand. Her sketch of a lilac had so much depth and character,” she exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. Then she went on a tangent about the technique and pencils she used. “So anyway, I’m so happy she agreed to come over,” she revealed as we were arriving.

“You what?!” I snarled, slamming the breaks of the car.

Alice giggled. “Yup. After I decided I was going to invite her over, I got a vision and she said sure! I just don’t know when.”

“What about Jasper? This is the only place where he doesn’t have to worry about blood,” I argued, trying to find an excuse to put a stop to her plans.

“Surprisingly, her blood doesn’t call out to me. Her emotions are also very mild, I had to focus extremely hard in order to read her. I doubt I would be able to control her emotions,” Jasper disclosed quietly, a contemplative look on his usually stoic face.

“Unbelievable,” I muttered under my breath. I exited the car and slammed the door, almost unhinging it. I rushed to my room and locked myself in.

There was too much information circulating in my mind. There’s the fact that she can essentially block Edward and Jasper. Or that she’s coming to our home, a place where we could relax and escape the burn of our throat caused by the temptation of human blood.

Or that stupid moment from the cafeteria and of the probable implications. I snapped myself out of that train of thought. It would be better if I ignored it and moved on as if nothing happened, which was true. Nothing happened, so there was no need to mention it to anyone. She’s just like any human, I repeated to myself unconvincingly. She’s just like any other human.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to Bella POV. So this is the car crash scene!

Chapter 4: Bella 

Something shifted after my outburst in the cafeteria. Whispers still followed my movements, but instead of the curious-filled glances present on the first day, wariness lurked in my classmates eyes. A seed of doubt had begun to sprout within me, compelling me to believe that these two years of high school would be lonely. 

But I was proven wrong.

Angela and Eric apologized profusely about the incident and insisted that I continue to sit with them, adamant that if the others had an issue, they could sit elsewhere. I waved off their apologies as they had no fault and accepted their olive branch.

Mike and Jessica trudged to the table with hesitant smiles and downcast eyes, guilt evident upon their faces. Not one to hold grudges, I gestured for them to sit with us. Despite starting off on the wrong foot, I understood that they were close friends of Eric and Angela, and I didn’t want to be the reason for their friendships to change. My initial opinion of them changed within the past two weeks. Once Mike stopped with his incessant flirting, he was easy to talk to and wasn’t afraid to be the butt of the jokes. Without Lauren, the snobby and uptight Jessica I met on the first day was gone. In place of her was a girl with a dorky laugh and sarcastic words, one that I could see myself becoming close friends with, given time.

Though, that wasn’t the only change that occured. The Cullens were also part of the shift.

My interactions with the Cullens ranged from friendly banter with Alice, Emmett, and Jasper to being stared at by Edward and Rosalie. At first, the friendly banter was between Alice and I in art class, but it soon extended to her goofy bear-like brother and her guarded mate. Their Spanish class was next door to us and since it’s the final class of the day, they always waited for her to walk to their car. Emmett had no reservations in joining our banter, immediately jumping in without a thought. Jasper, on the other hand, took a bit to warm up. He was soft-spoken, but would always make well-timed quips that would have us laugh until I had tears streaming down my eyes. I started parking next to their car just so that we would be able to keep our conversation going as long as possible.

Edward and Rosalie, on the other hand, made me feel as though I was a specimen under a microscope with all their suspicious-filled surveying, but at least Rosalie tried to be inconspicuous with her gaze. Edward would still attempt to prod every now and then, but I tried my best to ignore him. It was irritating to say the least.

I called Pierre to ask for more information after the first week of attending school. He had previously told me that some vampires possessed “abilities”, usually connected to their human life. Pierre, before he was turned, had always been good at convincing people in any situation, which came in handy in the French Revolution. He would lead rebellions and be able to sway the French soldiers into looking the other way. Once he was turned, he learned that he was able to change and direct people’s decisions. He never attempted it on me, as he rarely used it. Pierre thought that it was a violation of someone’s mind/will and that using outside of dangerous situations is morally wrong. So when I told him about the prodding, he was livid. It took me a while to try to convince him I was safe and that there was no reason for him to come to Forks.

He was still upset, but I assured him that I could take care of the issue myself and promised that I would update him on the situation. After I hung up, a frustrated sigh left my lips as I threw myself onto my bed, the metal frame groaning in protest. Living in Forks was not as simple as I thought it was going to be. There were so many questions that continued to swarm inside my head. Alice. Edward’s ability. Rosalie.

The persistent appearance of the aloof blonde in my nightly introspections was the most confusing to me. Alice and Edward, I could understand. The guilt from continuing my clueless human act increased with every passing day; the dark emotion found a home within me, seething a hole in my conscience. I feared that the longer it went on, the more it would hurt Alice. With Edward, it shifted from annoyance to distress, since his prodding began to feel uncomfortable and violating. But Rosalie? I haven't had an interaction with her aside from that weird moment in the cafeteria where we locked eyes, but I would hardly call that an interaction. So there was no logical explanation for my thoughts to always drift to her golden-hued eyes.

It was no different last night as I debated when and how I should reveal myself to the Cullens, whether all of them can be trusted. And like every other morning, I had no answer. It didn’t help that Charlie refused to be more than a soundboard, and Renee found my drama too amusing to offer anything more than a few words of advice.

So I reluctantly rolled out of bed, not ready to face another day of classes. To make matters worse, Charlie had to go to the station early so there was no breakfast waiting for me. Being too lazy to cook, I served myself a bowl of cereal before heading out.

To my surprise, the wild green labyrinth that I’ve come to know as Forks was under a thick and glistening blanket of snow. The roads were clear of snow, but a slick sheet of ice covered them. As I walked towards my truck, a gleam of metal caught my attention. Snow chains. The thought of Charlie waking up early to place safety equipment for someone who couldn’t be seriously injured, provoked an affectionate roll of my eyes and a fond smile. Despite his gruff and awkward exterior, Charlie was actually a giant teddy bear.

Thanks to his attentive nature, I arrived at school with no issues. One minutes exactly after I parked, a yellow Porsche swerved into the empty lot beside my truck. I didn’t know how she manages to arrive a minute after I do every morning, especially since I never arrived at the same time. A tap on the window pulled me out my thoughts and led me face to face with the pixie in question.

“Bella! What are you waiting for? Come on, get out.” Not one for patience, Alice opened my truck’s door. She hauled me out of my seat and trapped me into a tight hug. Emmett and Jasper near the bed of the truck. From the corner of my eye, I saw Rosalie and Edward stepping out of his silver Volvo a few spaces from us.

“Hello to you too, Alice,” I mumbled against the top of her head. “Emmett. Jasper.” I nodded in their direction.Once Alice deemed enough time had passed, she released me from her death grip. Only to be captured in another embrace.

“Belly Bear! It’s been too long. Also it’s not fair that Alice always gets the first hug,” Emmett bellowed in complaint.

“It’s Wednesday, Em. You saw me yesterday and the day before,” I countered. “Also, can you put me down?”

“Not until you promise me that I get the first hug tomorrow - ”

“Hey!” Alice exclaimed, her arms crossed in defiance.

And Thursday.” He lifted me higher in the air to spite me.

Just to get out of his hold, I agreed. “Fine. Now put me down, Emmett." Not a second later, he gently placed me on my feet. “This is why Jasper is my favorite,” receiving a grin from the southern teen.

We started heading towards the school doors, until Alice spoke out midway. “Where’s your jacket, Bella? You must be freezing.”

I felt my face pinch in confusion, before realizing that I was only wearing jeans and a thin t-shirt in 30 degree weather. Shit. I forgot.

“Oh yeah. Let me just go grab my jacket. You guys go on ahead, I’ll meet you at my locker.” I was already backtracking as I spoke to them.

Alice shook her head. “Nope, we’ll wait right here. It shouldn’t take you long.”

I hurried my way to my car and pulled on my jacket. As I reached the end of my truck, an ear splitting screech resonated throughout the parking lot. I turned to the group and saw their horrified and alarmed expressions.

“BELLA!”

An out of control van came barreling in my direction. I didn’t know what to do. The van was coming too fast, too fast for a human to move out of the way. But if I didn’t, it would be harder to explain how I would survive the impact with little to no damage. So I made a decision, praying that no harm comes to my baby. “Please let my truck be okay.”

Before I could take a step, my body was slammed into the ground and not a second later the thundering clash of metal followed. I glanced up, surprised to see a familiar pair of eyes. But rather of their bright golden colored, they were pitch black. A deep growl rumbled from her chest, the clenching of her teeth caging it inside. I slowly stood up and reached towards her by instinct, my hand wrapping around her wrist. Her attention snapped in my direction, her onyx orbs immediately locking onto my eyes. The growling transformed into a soft whirring sound that resembled the purring of a cat.

The boisterous clambering of students punctured our little bubble. The moment of silence ruined by the onslaught of commotion, of distressed yelling and shouting getting closer to us. Rosalie ripped her arm away and glared at me before she left the scene.

“Bella? Are you okay? Bella?”

I turned to face the worried faces of my lunch group. Angela and Jessica fretted over my body, making sure that I truly was okay. Mike and Eric shot question after question, not allowing me to answer, so I ignored their rambling. Other students surrounded the van in an attempt to assure that the driver remained conscious. I did a sweep of the area and found the Cullens on the outskirts of the crowd. It appeared as though Alice was being restrained by the others. Knowing Alice, I knew that she wanted to be my side.

When the EMT’s arrived, they forced the crowd to disperse and sent the students to class. I tried to persuade them that going to the hospital was not needed. I almost succeeded, but Alice unsurprising managed to avoid getting sent to class and sidled up to my side. She took hold of the conversation and mentioned that I hit my head on the concrete. This immediately spurred the EMTs into action, pushing me into the ambulance without hesitation. I glared at her the entire way to the hospital. I was so close to escaping, but she ruined it.

“Why do I have to go to the hospital? I don’t need it, I’m clearly fine.” I knew that I was acting like a child, but I was still annoyed at Alice.

“Because you were almost hit by a van!”

A noncommittal sound escaped my throat. “So was Rosalie, but she isn’t here.”

Alice sighed in exasperation, giving me some pleasure at knowing that my pettiness was working. “Unlike you, Rosalie’s head did not bang against the ground.”

We soon arrived at the hospital, where they sent me to the emergency room. Alice, Emmett, and Jasper sat in the chairs near my bed. I didn’t see Edward and Rosalie, but I could hear their hushed whispering, so they were nearby. Still irritated at being stuck in the ER, I decided to toy with the Cullens.

“How did Rosalie manage to push me away?,” I asked, no guilt this time as I pretended to be clueless.

Alice cleared her throat before speaking. “She was behind you. You were just too busy putting on your jacket to notice.” It was hard not laughing at her lame excuse.

I wasn’t going to make it too easy. “Nope. I’m pretty sure that no one was near me, or at least not close enough to beat the van.” 

Three squirming vampires provided much needed entertainment, given that it was their fault I was stuck here in the first place. “Your back was to her, so you probably didn’t realize how close she was.” Aside from a slight waver in her voice, she appeared confident again. “Speaking of the van, Tyler is okay. He only has minor scratches and a cut on his forehead that should heal quickly.”

Deciding that I had enough fun, I allowed the conversation to shift topics. “I don’t know him, but I’m glad no one was seriously hurt. So when can I leave?”

Tension flooded out of all three of their bodies as we returned to a safer topic. “Well Carlisle, our father, has to check on you before you’re signed off. Also your father should be here soon, in case you were wondering.”

“Ugh! You guys are the worst!” I wanted to wack each of them with my pillow, several times. This was going to take forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know how the story is panning out so far. This chapter was kinda hard to write as I wanted to write a lot more, but didn't want to make it so wordy. So I kinda split it into two. The next chapter should be within the week.


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosalies POV of the car crash, continuing the last chapter. This chapter is slightly longer than the others. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter Five: Rosalie

I don’t know what I was thinking or if I even was thinking. And I’m not sure which scared me more: that I willingly put us at risk or that I had lost control of myself.  
All I know was that in that split second that I saw the van closing in on Bella, I couldn’t let it happen. My field of vision narrowed onto her figure and my hearing focused on the sound of her heartbeat, as if nothing else in the world mattered. My feet propelled me forward, surpassing the limits of human speed in my indescribable need to place myself between her and the danger. Instinct took over and I pushed her out the way, bracing my arm for the impact of the van. My entire body was brimming with rage that I struggled to contain. It wasn’t until I felt her touch on my wrist that I realized the snarl that had formed on my face.

The warmth that emanated from her hand drained the tension of my body and curbed my urge to growl. Her eyes, while gentle and soft, displayed unease. In their reflection I saw the state of darkness of my eyes instead of their usual color. Believing that I caused her stress, my chest released constant whirring sounds to soothe her.

The ice cold water that snapped me back to reality came in the form of screaming students swarming the scene. I jerked my arm back with a glare, ignoring the hurt that flashed across her face and escaped the onslaught of teenagers.

I stayed on the outside of the crowd, the others immediately coming to my side. No one said anything. Not Alice. Not Emmett. Not even Edward. They were probably still trying to process what had just occurred, what I had done. I felt their staring, but I refused to meet their eyes and remained focused on Bella.

There was a shift on my right. “Rose...” Alice was the first to speak, but even she seemed at a loss of words. A minute later she pulled me into an inescapable embrace. “Thank you,” she whispered reverently. Her words ended the silent disbelief we were confined in.

Edward was the first to speak. “I expected this from Alice, or Emmett! But you?,” he didn’t bother to hide the disgust in his voice. “You put us at risk. Students may not be questioning it, but what about Bella? I know she spotted Rosalie and I by my car.”

I couldn’t stop my sneer, I was close to lashing out, but luckily Alice stepped in. “Bella was turned around. We can say that Rosalie was walking towards the school, and was nearby.” She shrugged her shoulders. “If worst comes to worst, we blame the shock and the hit that her head took.”

“It was irresponsible! Why did you do it?,” Edward scrutinized closely, probably trying to sort through my thoughts.

“If you read my mind, Edward, I swear to god I will tear your arm off,” I hissed, stepping in his direction. As a precaution, I recited several songs in various languages to conceal my thoughts; a skill that I perfected over the years.

I noticed Alice sending Jasper a slight nod. And the next second, I relaxed slightly, no longer having the strong desire to attack Edward. I usually hated when others used their abilities one me without consent, but Jasper never took advantage of it. In this case, it was necessary.

Emmett, being himself, chose to say something positive. “I, for one, am glad that Bellie bear is okay.” Jasper nodded in agreement which seemed to rile Edward once more.

He scoffed while dragging his hands through his hair. “That doesn’t change the fact that Rosalie’s actions threatened our secret.” Edward pinched the bridge of his nose like the drama queen he was.

“Hey! You know that Rosalie is the most cautious out of all of us,” Emmett defended me. He slowly placed his hand on my shoulder, as to not startle me. I gave him a half-smile in return.

Edward snorted derisively. “Apparently not anymore. She hasn’t even given us a reason.” I clenched my hands into fists in an attempt to control my anger that was boiling the venom in my veins.

“Enough. This is not the time nor the place. We’ll talk about this later,” Alice stated emphatically, leaving no room for any discussion. “The EMTs are close by. I’ll go with Bella. Jasper, take Edward and Rosalie home. Emmett meet me at the hospital.”

A vicious growl sprung from my lips, surprising everyone, even me. “No. I want to be at the hospital.” I needed to be there. The thought of not being near her, with her possibly harmed, was distressing.

“If she’s going, I’m going too. I am not allowing any of you to make another mistake,” Edward asserted while maintaining eye contact with me, making it clear who he was going to watch.

Alice just shook her head in exasperation. “Fine. We’re all going then.” The ambulances finally arrived at the scene. The first one immediately started working on the driver, while the second set of EMTs talked to Bella and cleared the scene. “Anyways I have to go. It seems like Bella is trying to talk her way out of going to the hospital.” She avoided getting sent to class and slid next to the taller girl, telling the EMT that Bella had hit her head on the concrete.

As the ambulance left, I shoved Edward as I made my way to the driver seat of his Volvo, Emmett following me. I started the car and left, an unsettled silence permeating the car. I knew I messed up. And I was not in the mood to discuss that my theory of Bella being my mate was just confirmed.

At first, it was only a fleeting thought that started with the cafeteria situation, one that I suppressed. I hoped and wished that I could ignore her, both in person and in my thoughts. Every time my eyes sought her out, I would justify it by telling myself that I was only making sure she knew nothing. I hid behind harsh glares and cold looks. I tried so hard to resist the urge to be near her. It had become exhausting, concealing my thoughts any time they seemed to fixate on her. I acted disinterested whenever Alice or Emmett shared their daily stories of Bella, but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Every time they spoke of her, the bitter taste of envy lingered in my mouth.

Too consumed in my thoughts, I barely registered the subtle clearing of a throat. “Rose?” Emmett shifted in his seat. “We’re here.” I looked outside my window and saw that we were at the hospital, parked next to Alice's Porsche. I don’t even remember driving here at all.

I unbuckled my seatbelt, but before I could open the car door, Emmett gently clasps my arm. “What?,” I snapped at him. Guilt flooded my body when he flinched at the harshness of my voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be sharp.”

“Hey it's okay,” he murmurs in the subdued voice he mainly reserves for me. Out of everyone in the family, he was the best at comforting me; he knew when to back off and when to push. “Your mate was in danger, it’s understandable.” My eyebrows rose in shock, before scrunching in confusion and wariness. I never mentioned my speculation to him.

“How did you know?” As much as I wanted to feign ignorance, it was too late. My reaction gave it away.

Emmett shrugs in response. “Because I know you,” he simply stated. “How about we talk about this later. Let’s go see Bellie bear.” We walked to the ER entrance, but I froze when I heard her melodic voice.

“I can’t. Just go with them, I’ll be close by.” I headed towards an empty hallway before he could say anything.

As much as I wanted to be by her side, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. For the past two weeks, I maintained my distance, glaring at her. Suddenly changing my attitude would only raise more questions from her, which is the last thing we need right now. Her being my mate doesn’t change anything, at least from her side.

Edward’s grating voice interrupted my internal deliberation. “Mate? Are you serious Rosalie? You not only had to choose a human, but one that’s hiding something?”

I scoffed at his ridiculous questions, as if I had a choice. “You know that that’s not how it works.” I did not want to start another argument with him, especially without any mediators.

“So you admit that she’s hiding something?,” he continued to prod.

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know what you want to tell you. I hardly know anything about her.” I just wanted to make sure she was okay and get out of here as quickly as possible. “We’ll talk about this later, like Alice said. And don’t you dare listen to my thoughts.” I dismissed him with a glare.

I hovered over the hallway door, listening for any updates and peeking through the small glass pane. The window on the door allowed a limited view of her. It was only a few minutes later, when Carlisle introduced himself to Bella. He did the routine concussion test and examined her head, searching for any bumps. He ultimately gave her the all clear since she displayed no pain, but informed her that she couldn’t leave until Charlie arrived.

I released a deep sigh of relief, the pit of apprehension vanishing from my abdomen. However, confusion clouded my mind. How did she not have any swelling, or at least a headache? Alice said that her head hit the ground pretty heavily?

Adding to my puzzlement was the arrival of her father, Sheriff Swan. He didn’t seem apprehensive; he didn’t fuss over her, didn’t didn’t panic, demonstrate agitated behavior, nothing. Aside from the initial cursory glance and a simple “Are you okay Bells?”, the sheriff swiftly signed the release forms while giving his thanks to Carlisle. They walked away, teasing each other, as if Bella’s life had not been endangered.

I made my way to the car with so many questions buzzing in my mind. I leaned against the Volvo, deep in thought, waiting for the others. It wasn’t long before the others formed a semi-circle by the cars.

“Carlisle’s shift will be over soon,” Edward announced to the group. “Let’s go talk.”

I clenched my jaw, but nodded. I suppose there was no point in contesting it anymore.

When we arrived home, the others gathered in the living room to wait for Carlisle; Alice and Jasper on the loveseat, Emmett and Edward on the long sofa, and Esme on the armchair. I refused to sit, preferring to stand and be able to pace. It wasn’t too long before we heard the hum of Carlisle’s Mercedes, causing my body to stiffen without my permission.

Unsurprisingly, Edward was the one to speak first, as soon as Carlisle entered the room. “Now that we are all present, I believe we should strongly consider leaving Forks.” The involuntary snarl that broke through my clenched teeth echoed across the house, I was struggling to tamper down my stupid impulses. Alice and Emmett made disgruntled noises of disagreement.

Carlisle, ever the mediator, intervened with his soft, tranquil voice. “We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, Edward. Clearly not everyone would be on board.” He signalled to Alice, Emmett, and me. “How about we start with your concerns?”

Displeased with Carlisle’s words, Edward huffed, but acquiesced. He started with his inability to read her mind and the fact that she was able to sense his attempts. His rant then moved on to Jasper’s difficulty with reading her emotions, as well as the fact that her blood had a weak scent, almost non-existent. It ended with today’s events, explaining that I essentially exposed our secret. Throughout his ramble, Alice wanted to interrupt, but Esme gestured to her to wait until Edward was done.

“It’s just too risky to continue staying here,” he concluded with absolute confidence. Carlisle had a speculative look on his face, not portraying his thoughts on Edward’s opinion. He nodded in Alice’s direction, indicating that she was free to speak.

“I don’t think any of that matters,” Alice simply stated, an unwavering smile radiating her conviction of this.

The pensive look on Carlisle’s face washed off and was replaced by one of utter confusion. “Explain, Alice.” She didn’t say anything, instead looked in my direction, and raised her eyebrows. It prompted Carlisle and Esme to glance at me, wondering why Alice redirected the attention to me. They were unaware of the discovery of my mate.

I took a deep breath in an attempt to control myself. “She’s my mate,” I quietly revealed. At this information, Carlisle raised his eyebrows, but a grin quickly appeared. Esme gasped in disbelief, but immediately wrapped me in a hug and whispered congratulations in my ear. Alice and Emmett were practically beaming, even Jasper had a slight smile.

“Then I’m sorry Edward, but the only one that makes the final decision is Rosalie,” Carlisle declared with authority.

“But Carlisle, it is too much of a risk,” Edward objected. “She’s a human, exposing our secret would break the rules.” Alice dismissed his words with a flippant laugh.

She rolled her eyes. “She’s Rosalie’s mate. Bella is going to find out one way or another.” Alice squealed, after a moment of contemplation. “I cannot wait to take her shopping. Oh my god, this is the perfect time to invite her! I know she’ll say yes, she said yes in my vision!”

Before she could get ahead of herself, I spoke. “I think I need time to process. Just because she is my mate, I don’t believe it might be in her best interest to know about us.” I ignored the frowns of Alice and Emmett. “It would only put her in danger.”

Alice spluttered, not believing what I was saying. “You can’t be serious, Rose. You know she is your mate, what more is there to process?,” her voice rising with each word. Jasper took hold of her hand, rubbing his thumb to soothe her. I couldn’t help, but feel a pang of longing at the sight.

I dug my nails into my hand as a distraction, wanting to suppress the yearning sensation. “If I tell her what we are and that she is my mate, I’m practically forcing her into our world.”

Understanding flashes across her face. “But if you don’t, you’re taking that choice away from her Rose.” Her voice was no longer agitated, taking on a softer, empathetic tone. “Shouldn’t she know all of her options?” I glanced around, only to see gentle demeanors. Even Edward relinquished his animosity, returning back to his usual brooding self, although with a hint of sympathy.

I began pacing across the pristine white floors of the living room, ignoring everything around me and retreated to the inside of my mind. My past will always be a part of me, will always make itself known in the way I think and act. I hated the hold it still had over me, but I accepted it, because it only affected me and I could handle it. I closed myself off, believing that it was the best method to always be in control. The idea of mates has always been a point of contention for me. I longed to have the relationship that Carlise and Esme have, as well as Alice and Jasper. However, at the same time, being vulnerable terrified me.

But having no choice is worse, and who am I to put Bella in that position. No matter how scared I am of being vulnerable, I could never forgive myself if I forced Bella by not giving her options.

Gathering all my strength, I made my decision.

“Okay,” I whispered.


	6. POLL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOT A CHAPTER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a question for the active followers of this story.

So first of all, I want to say thank you for anyone that is reading this story! This is my first time writing, and was not really expecting people to read this. It was mainly to keep busy during COVID. (Hopefully everyone is safe during these times!)

Sorry for those that thought this was an actual chapter, but I really need an opinion. After reading this story from the beginning, the thought of rewriting it in 3rd person crossed my mind. 

However, I understand those of you who are actively following might have issues with the potential change, especially 5 chapters in. This is the reason for this brief pause. I would like to know your opinions.

The Rosalie and Bella POV will continue, the only thing I would change is the 1st person. 

So please comment your preference, whether you would like for this story to continue in 1st person or if you would prefer it to be 3rd person.

Your opinions matter greatly to me, so please be honest in the comments!

Hopefully I will have a concrete answer by Monday!


	7. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella learns more about the wolves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay in updating the story. I have been busy trying to get everything ready, since fall semester is rapidly approaching.  
> Also I decided to turn this story into 3rd person, because the fanfics I enjoy the most tend to be in that pov. So I decided to try the switch and the story will continue in 3rd person. Hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 6: Bella POV

After the unnecessary hospital visit, Charlie dropped her off at school before he returned to work. Bella took a moment to scan her truck, relieved to find no serious damage, just a slight imprint of Rosalie’s hand. She knew that her truck could probably survive a nuclear bomb, but that didn’t curb the worry for her beloved truck. It hasn’t been Bella’s for too long, but something about it called out to her. Every dent, every scratch, every chipped paint, every imperfection carved onto its once bright red surface alluded to untold stories. And now, it holds one of hers. She felt a sense of satisfaction of having a moment of her life engraved, even if it was embarrassing. 

As soon as she got home, Bella called Pierre and Renee to update them on her latest bout with danger. It wasn’t the first time that she has been in a “life” threatening situation. They all loved to tease her that if she weren’t a vampire hybrid, she’d be dead ten times over. It wasn’t Bella’s fault that danger seemed to be enamored with her, loving to prank her at any opportunity. This time was no different as they couldn’t control their uncontrollable laughter; she was going to suffer through the light ribbing for the foreseeable future.

Once she hung up, Bella opened her bedroom window and slipped out in one fluid motion. It was clearly not her first time using this method of exit. The tree outside acted as the perfect ladder. She landed in her backyard with a thud and sprinted, in a human pace, past the edge of the woods.

If Bella had to name her favorite thing about Forks, aside from all the friends she’s made, it would have to be the forest. It provided a place for her to shed her human facade. She was free to do as she pleased without fear of exposure, something that wasn’t always possible in places that Renee chose to live. So running and jumping, without any and all inhibitions, turned out to be exhilarating. It also served as a place for relaxation.

On her first exploration of the woods, she stumbled upon a river that led to a waterfall. It was too far from all hiking trails for any humans to come across it, so it became her haven. Hidden behind the cascading water, resided a small cave, just enough space for two people to sit comfortably. Bella loved to crawl into the cave, close her eyes, and let the sound of rushing water engulf her, transporting her to a state of serenity.

It was what Bella needed, especially after the morning events.

So she stayed there until the vibration from the message notification from Charlie interrupted her peace. She took her time getting back home, walking rather than sprinting, thinking over the earlier events. Bella couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that Rosalie pushed her out of the way. The blonde-haired vampire didn’t like her, probably hated her if the glares were any indication. Yet, she was the one that didn’t hesitate. Not Alice, who she’s become best friends with. Not Emmett, who she thinks of as a brother. Not Jasper, who had started to open up to her. But Rosalie. Rosalie, the girl whose amber eyes and lilac scent shadowed her every thought despite not speaking a single word to her. It was as if Bella was being intrinsically drawn to her somehow. But that didn’t explain Rosalie’s action.

Why did she risk saving, in her eyes, a human? It didn’t make sense.

Not getting close to an answer, Bella switched her focus to Alice, Emmett and Jasper. She thought it was time to tell them about her secret. They have become her close friends in such a short amount of time. Angela, Eric, Mike and Jessica were great, but she couldn’t reveal herself to them without putting them at risk. With the Cullens, there was no excuse now, given that Bella grew to trust some of them. When her house came into view, she came to the decision to tell all the Cullens. 

Satisfied with coming to an answer to one of questions swirling in her head, Bella started on dinner.

Returning to school the following day after the car crash was probably her worst idea up to date, even worse than climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower during a torrential downpour in the middle of the night. Pierre didn’t know whether to be an amused uncle or an embarrassed Frenchman. He did say Bella has a flair for the dramatics, but she didn’t see the fun in taking an elevator to the top and being crammed with tourists.

Safe to say that she’d rather face falling hundreds of feet than be the main gossip for nosy teenagers.

However, their whispers and pointing became nonexistent when she caught a glimpse at captivating golden orbs and noticed that they weren’t set in their usual glare. They appeared softer, lacking that harsh glint. At first, Bella thought it was a fluke. Maybe she had caught Rosalie unguarded. But she was proven wrong, as time progressed. It was as though she gradually situated herself into their little after school group. At first it was a quick talk to Alice, to then silently walking with them, to adding a word or two in the conversations.

Rosalie never spoke directly to her, but Bella would catch the furtive glances thrown her way and she couldn’t keep the blood from rushing to her face. There was something alluring about her that Bella couldn’t explain, but she just brushed it off as a crush. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough, Alice picked up on this and began teasing her in art class.

It was during a charcoal session, when Alice invited her to their home, unknowingly presenting the perfect opportunity for Bella to be completely honest.

“So what do you say? Carlisle and Esme would love to have you over and finally meet you.” She stopped her shading to whirl around her chair and faced the taller brunette.

Bella stopped working and tapped her chin, pretending to think. “I guess I can make time for my best friend.” She squealed and was about to hug her until Bella spoke. “Yeah, anything for Jasper.” Alice’s jaw dropped at the utter betrayal.

“Take that back!” The pixie’s eyes narrowed and settled into a menacing look, or it would’ve been menacing had there not been streaks of charcoal on her face. The brown-eyed girl couldn’t help but erupt into peals of laughter. “What? Why are you laughing?,” she demanded.

Bella wiped a tear away and pointed. “Your face. You have black smears everywhere.” Before she finished speaking. Alice dissolved into giggles. 

The hybrid vampire grabbed her phone and clicked on the camera. Similar to her friend, there was charcoal smeared, probably from when she wiped her tear. Once they calmed down, in due part to Mrs. Carson gently shushing them, the conversation returned to the invitation.

Alice nudged her shoulder. “So tomorrow after school?”

“Can we do Saturday instead? Mike planned a bonfire at La Push tomorrow and I’ve already promised I’d go.” Bella had been hesitant to accept Mike’s invitation due to the shifter, not knowing if there would be an issue with another supernatural on their territory. She caved in after their incessant pleading, figuring the wolves wouldn’t risk anything with humans around. She didn’t even know if they would notice anything odd about her. Her beating heart would be enough to throw them off.

The hyperactive pixie pouted. “Fine. Saturday it is.” She paused for a moment, concern flashing across her face before reverting back to her joyful self. “Everyone is going to be thrilled!”

Unable to help herself, Bella raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “Everyone?” Alice just rolled her eyes in response.

“You know Edward doesn’t count,” the petite vampire countered. “Anyways, I can’t wait for you to come over.” The conversation ended as they both returned to their work, losing themselves in their shading.

The following day, Mike wouldn’t stop talking about the bonfire and how much fun they would have. Eventually, his enthusiasm spread to the rest of the group, so by lunch everyone had bets going on as to who could build the best sandcastle. Even Angela indulged their childish antics by placing her bet in Bella’s favor, rather than Mike or Eric. By the end of lunch, they agreed to meet at her truck 20 minutes after the end of final class, so that there was enough time for people to get what was needed from their lockers.

After the final bell rang, a shot of excitement coursed through her body. She’s never attended a bonfire, much less an event with friends. This was something new for her and she couldn’t wait to be at the beach, wolves aside. The thrill was probably also in due part to being so close to having no secrets with her vampire buddies.

Alice and Bella walked out of class, talking about their latest assignment when they were interrupted by Emmett. “So no charcoal today, ladies?” Jasper tried to hide his smile, but the twitch of his lip gave him away. It only served to make the other smirk.

Brushing off his teasing, Bella redirected his attention. “Where’s Rosalie?” Ever since the car crash, the newest member of their group hadn't missed walking with them to the parking lot. If she didn’t know they were vampires, Bella would be confused as to how she managed to be there right after the bell despite her class not being anywhere near theirs.

Emmett and Alice only shared an uneasy look. “She had to stop by her locker. Said she’ll see us in the parking lot.” Jasper answered her question when he realized the other two were busy in a conversation in a volume too low for human ears. Bella tried her best to distract herself from listening.

“Hmm… So have you ever been to La Push?” She knew about the wolves and the Cullens, but didn’t know how the relations between the two groups were. Bella wanted to know the nature of their interactions, just to get an idea as to what she was possibly walking into. 

Jasper shook his head. “No, we’re more of a camping family rather than beach one. And we also tend to stick to another set of woods, where there are more trails.” It was a sensible answer, but something about it seemed off, skirting around something. From Charlie’s limited knowledge about the shifters, he explained that they were protectors of their tribe, meant to defend their people from vampires. Yet, that didn’t answer as to why they allowed the Cullens to be so near. Even if they drank animal blood, why would the Quileutes trust them, their supposed enemy? 

A clearing of a throat cut her line of thought. “Sorry Jasper, what did you say?” They had exited the school doors. Angela and Jessica were already at the truck.

“Just that I hope you have fun tonight. And that we’re all excited that you are joinin’ us tomorrow.” 

Bella flashed him a smile. “Thanks Jazz. And I wouldn’t miss out on seeing the mysterious Cullen residence,” she teased. The chuckle released only made her smile wider.

When they neared her truck, Bella motioned to Angela and Jessica to give them a moment. Alice and Emmett caught up to them. Usually they would hang out for a while before heading home, but for obvious reasons it was different this time. From the corner of her eye, she noticed the blonde make her way to the group.

“So I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” Bella asked, looking for assurance.

Alice glared. “No guessing, Bella. You will be there tomorrow,” she asserts with confidence. “I will pick you up at 5 p.m”

Bella only huffed in feigned annoyance. “Yes, mom.” It managed to get a chuckle out of them. She noticed Mike and Eric reach her truck. “Well it’s time for me to go.” She hugged Alice and Emmett goodbye, nodded to Jasper and Rosalie.

She started to walk away when a soft, symphonic voice spoke out. “Bella?” This was the first time Rosalie directly addressed her.

Bella stopped moving and gave the girl her full attention. “Yes, Rosalie?” The lilac scented vampire bit her bottom lip, hesitation clear on her face, before a determined glint settled in her eyes.

“Just… Be careful. Okay?”

Stupefied with disbelief Bella only nodded, unable to form a coherent response. She turned and walked away, hoping that none of them noticed the burning flush on her cheeks.

After the shock wore off, bliss spread across every nerve of her body, finally understanding what people meant about being on cloud nine. She wasn’t naive enough to believe that it would suddenly change their interactions, but it was something that managed to inexplicably elate her to no end. 

When they arrived at the beach, Mike immediately took control of giving each person a responsibility. Within the hour, their little area had been set up with the bonfire pit yet to be lit. Angela thought it would be best to wait until the sun had lowered just a bit more and everyone agreed. With everything set the guys stripped down to their swim trunks and dashed towards the crashing waves, leaving the others to laugh at their childish glee. Only they would think to enter the ocean when it was snowing not too long ago. It may not be currently snowing, but the temperature was still freezing for humans to enter the waters. The girls’ laugh only grew louder when, not a minute later, the boys returned in shivering messes with chattering teeth. Bella tossed their towels at them, while Jessica recorded their reactions. Once Mike and Eric warmed up, they explored the tide pools and returned to start the very anticipated sandcastle contest, which Bella handily won. Once they finished the contest, the group started the bonfire when they returned.

The fire burned so bright with its flames twisting and twirling in an unpredictable dance. She lost herself within the friendly banter and stories that she had forgotten about the wolves until a musky scent reached her nose. It wasn’t unpleasant, but not inoffensive; not human. Bella searched towards the edge of the dense trees, where three muscular shirtless guys were making their way out of the woods. Close behind them was another male, but dressed in jeans and a cut off tee; still not enough clothing, but more appropriate for the weather. This further confirmed her thought about them being the shifters, at least older ones; It was too cold for humans to be comfortably wearing shorts.

At first glance, Bella thought the front three were all in their early twenties, but as they got nearer she was proven incorrect. The leader seemed to be in his twenties, but the other two still carried a trace of youth in their stoic faces. The one with jeans appearing to be the youngest of them, probably her age.

Following my line of sight, Mike spoke. “That’s Sam and his group. They’re part of the Quileute tribe.” She remained curious about the last one as he appeared to hold himself differently from the serious trio. 

When they reached our spot, the shirtless ones stiffened. Their muscles twitched and growls were being restrained in, as if ready to attack. Sam had to grip the shoulder of the boy to his left.

Oblivious to the tension, Mike happily welcomed them. “Hey Sam. Paul. Embry.” He nodded to each of them, but stopped at the youngest. “Jacob Black, right?” Sam pushed Paul slightly behind him and discreetly sniffed in her direction, and his body tensed even further.

Bella played with her hair, holding it close to get a whiff of what was clearly angering him. Aside from her own scent, she identified faint traces of Alice’s sweet caramel aroma and Emmett’s soothing eucalyptus balm, probably from their hugs. She assumed it was their fragrance that triggered them, since Pierre had mentioned that she lacked a strong natural smell; probably weak enough to be hidden by Alice’s and Emmett’s. It seemed to answer her question concerning the relationship between the pack and the Cullens. If their scent alone caused this visceral reaction, it was safe to say that they hated each other. Or at the very least the pack hated the Cullens.

Though this only made Bella wonder as to why they let the Cullens be near without repercussions.

Rosalie’s warning pushed to the forefront of her mind. She pushed it away, trusting that her brown eyes and beating heart would protect her. Bella strongly doubted that they would think she was a vampire.

However, the youngest seemed curious towards her, not hostile. It made her wonder whether he was a wolf or not.

Noticing his friends’ odd reaction, Jacob side-eyed them as he responded. “Yeah, but call me Jake.” Mike introduced the group and immediately jumped into a conversation with Jake. Bella feigned interest, preferring to study the shifters as a precaution. 

The second they managed to calm themselves, Sam spoke, disgust evident in his voice. “Who are you?” He asked, ignoring the fact that Mike had already introduced her. His voice trembled, exposing his anger, barely managing to sound human.

She decided to amplify her clueless human act. “I’m Bella Swan,” she stated with a shy smile. “Charlie’s kid.” She added, knowing that he was known in La Push due to his fishing endeavors with the locals.

He nodded. “He’s mentioned you. I didn’t know he had a daughter until recently.” Paul and Embry narrowed their eyes, recognizing the suspicion laced in Sam’s words. “He’s also mentioned that your friends with the Cullens.” He spatted their name in contempt, not attempting to hide the snarl.

Bella stepped back in order to sell her act. “Umm… yes. Well mainly Alice and Emmett. Why? Do you know them?” Deciding to push her luck, she continued. “I was going to invite them, but it was a last-minute plan,” she embellished.

The reaction was instant. All three of them growled. I was surprised that it was Paul that spoke rather than Sam. “They don’t come here.” Despite clearly hearing his words, she understood the underlying message. They aren’t allowed here. 

Believing that she had enough of their testosterone, Bella started to back away. “Well it was nice meeting you guys, but I want to take a stroll.”

Before she can make her escape, Sam had one final thing to say. “You should stay away from the Cullens.” Although it was worded as advice, the tone was unmistakable; it was a threat. She left before a snarl could escape, despising the fact that he threatened her.

Bella had a few minutes of silence as she admired the reflection of the moon ripple on the surface of the ocean. It seemed to stretch forever, the sky and ocean becoming one and the same. It wasn’t too long before she heard the heavy trudging of someone behind her. She didn’t turn, continuing to enjoy the scene.

“Hey.” Jacob’s probing voice broke the spell of the moonlit night. She reluctantly turned to face the interloper, slightly disgruntled at having her privacy cut short. 

Brushing off her irritation, she nodded and offered a smile to Jacob. “Hey.” He wasn’t the one who threatened her.

Bella took this time to study him, curious to know more about him. Now that he was separated from the others, he lacked the overbearing musk. And although he was tall and muscular, it wasn’t to the extent of the others. It was as if he was in between human and shifter.

Jacob scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry about them. They just really dislike the Cullens.” He added an apologetic smile.

She chuckled. “That seems to put it mildly. I thought they were going to bite my head off. Just for being friends with the Cullens.” He shrugged good-naturedly, a lopsided grin on his face, clearly not offended for them. “May I ask why?,” she asked hoping to get more insight.

“It’s just some tribe stuff. Legends that some people take too seriously.”

His flippant tone further sparked her interest. The only reason Charlie knew about the wolf shifters was because he happened to stumble upon one of their bonfires, where the elders were telling their legends to the young ones of their tribe, when he was called to remove a drunk. At first, he thought nothing of it, believing it to be true in the past. Since he knew vampires existed, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for wolf shifters to exist. However, he believed it was not a current matter. It wasn't until the Cullens moved to Forks. There were reports of animal attacks, bodies of deer teared apart with bite marks of a giant wolf. Then add the sudden change of Sam Uley’s physique within a short time span.

“What kind of legends?,” she prodded.

Jacob raised a single eyebrow. “No hurry to return to your friends?” He jerked his head in the direction of the fire, where her rambunctious friends were making smores. Or rather Angela and Jessica were making smores while Mike and Eric were launching marshmallows at each other's mouths. Sam and his lackeys stood a few meters from them, appearing to be in a heated discussion.

“I think they’re doing just fine without me.” 

The answer appeared to please Jacob, a full blown smile grew that displayed a straight row of pearly teeth. And so he began regaling Bella, the legend of his ancestors, of how the presence of a “cold one” led Ephraim Black, the Quileute chieftain and his great grandfather, to call upon a wolf spirit to help protect the tribe. It resulted in Ephraim and two others of his people gaining the ability to transform into giant wolves, wolves meant to destroy cold ones. 

“Cold ones?” she questioned, trying to shift her face into one of confusion.

He lowered his voice into a whisper, leaning closer to me. “No heartbeat, red eyes, an unquenchable thirst for blood.” 

“Vampires?”

“Vampires,” he confirmed with a nod. 

Bella paused to absorb the new information. “What does this have to do with the Cullens?”

“Apparently a group of vampires crossed into our territory, outnumbering the three wolves at the time. The leader of the vampires informed my great-grandfather that they were different in that they only drink animal blood instead of humans.” Jacob shifted his stance, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “He proposed a treaty, so that both sides wouldn’t have casualties. Ephraim agreed with stipulations. The vampires are not allowed to step on their territory, no drinking human blood, and no changing a human.”

“The Cullens?,” she prompted, still acting like she hadn’t connected the dots.

He smirked. “Well, that’s the kicker. Those vampires are supposedly the Cullens.” 

“And what do you think about that?” she asked, careful to have a neutral tone as to not imply any knowledge.

Jacob broke into laughter. “Come on, Bella. They’re nothing more than legends.” His eyes move towards Sam’s figure. “And unlike some people on the Rez, I don’t believe there is any truth to them.” 

He looked and sounded genuine. She determined that he wasn’t a shifter, or at least not yet. He was the great-grandson of the original shifter, so she figured it was only a matter of time.

A shout interrupted them. “Bella!” Eric yelled, gesturing for her to join them in taking pictures. He has been taking pictures throughout the day, but has been eager to test out his new camera in minimal light. He also had an idea for a cool picture involving the fire.

“I guess it’s time for me to go,” she began to say, but changed her mind. “Unless you still want to hang out?” Although her curiosity for him stemmed from her interest in the wolves, Bella liked him. From the little time she’s spent with him, he was sweet and funny.

Before he could answer, a sharp whistle pierced through the wind. “Jacob. It’s time to go,” Sam ordered with no room for discussion. Jacob’s face darkened, his hands clenching by his sides, but he took a deep breath and his body relaxed. His face returned to the sweet boy she was talking to.

“Sorry, but I have to go.” He was pensive for a second, but it washed away and in its place was a look of resolution. “But maybe we can hangout another time?” There was a glint of hope shining in his eyes, one that tugged at her heart. Another friend couldn’t hurt.

Bella didn’t hesitate to answer. “Of course. Here,” she handed him her cellphone and he handed his in return. “Well, it was nice meeting you, Jacob Black.”

“Nice meeting you too, Bella Swan.”


	8. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Rosalie and Bella POV, Bella finally goes over to the Cullen's home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I am sorry about the delay. I fly out to school this weekend, so getting everything ready has been hectic. I probably won't update until I am settled in school because move-in is a pain. But who knows? maybe I get inspiration on the plane and post chapters, though no promises
> 
> Anyways hope y'all enjoy.

Rosalie strolled into her room, eager to have some time for herself. She eyed her bed, wishing to throw herself unceremoniously onto it, and grab a pillow and yell her frustrations into it. Instead, she calmly stood up, took a deep breath, and walked to her balcony in smooth, steady steps.

She was a Hale. 

And Hales did not tolerate any tactless behavior, even in privacy. Mother and Father made certain that she did not act in any manner unbefitting of a refined young lady. They raised her to be the paragon of grace and sophistication, to be in control of every aspect of herself, from her body to her emotions. For 19 years she played the role of the perfect daughter in a perfect middle-class family.

At first, she loved it. Or at least that is what Rosalie told herself. Control came naturally to her, she wielded it with the same finesse that a samurai would their sword. A calculated smile here, a perfectly timed batting of the eyelashes there, coupled with rehearsed sincere-toned words had people eating out of her hand. She never broke character, even when whispers of envy began to sneak into her mind as she looked at the carefree attitudes of some of the other girls, like her friend Vera.

It took several years for her to be comfortable enough to lower her guard slightly around the coven.

And yet, Bella had tested her control from the very moment she arrived in Forks. Emotions that Rosalie tried so hard to hide, slipped through the cracks that the doe-eyed human created with a simple smile or the sound of her laughter. It terrified her. She rarely lost control and the only time she came close to completely losing it, the results were… loathsome.

Before her thoughts could be consumed by those memories that Rosalie swore she locked away, she changed into her overalls and headed to the safety of her garage. Initially, Rosalie had been reluctant to indulge in her interest in cars and their mechanics after becoming a vampire. It went against everything her parents taught her; a lady had no place being near laborious work and grease. However, she needed something to distract her from the reality of her new life, and from the moment she held a wrench, Rosalie felt a calmness she had only felt once before. 

Repairing cars allowed her to compose herself, and after Bella’s car crash, she confined herself in the garage. As she started on the engine, she allowed her thoughts to run free and it was no surprise that her mind drifted to Bella. The past few weeks have been tumultuous in regard to her relationship with her human mate. It was an odd shift and a humbling one. Her previous attitude towards Bella, the glares and cold indifference, set her in a frustrating situation. Apologies did not come easily to Rosalie, as she loathed to acknowledge any wrongdoings. And changing her attitude, although the right and necessary thing to do, did nothing to ease the ache in her pride. Nonetheless, she had merely set her wounded ego aside to plan how to approach her mate.

Alice mentioned locking her and Bella in a vacant school room, ranting about how it always worked in movies. Rosalie had to threaten her in order to discontinue her idea, stating that she put a halt on their shopping sprees if this occurred. Emmett’s concept was an elaborate prank involving fake blood and fake fangs, something akin to an old Dracula film. She didn’t allow him to explain longer than 30 seconds, immediately tossing his idea and ignoring his pout. Unsurprisingly, Jasper was the most helpful. He suggested going at a slow pace, that there was no hurry for her to reveal everything to Bella, despite Alice and Emmett’s opinions.

It was the plan she decided to adhere to, electing to gradually immerse herself in their after school group. Granted, he probably did not predict that Rosalie would take his advice as serious as she did when she set the sluggish pace. 

The car crash happened weeks ago, and yet, Rosalie had only spoken to Bella today. She had not planned for it to take so long, but every time she attempted to speak to her, the words would die in her throat. The confidence she perfected over the decades would suddenly disappear, as if it did not exist in the first place, when chestnut-colored eyes glanced at her.

She wiped her hands on the rag hanging from her overall pocket, pausing her thoughts to look over her progress on the engine. Content with her work, she thought it would be best that she hunt. Bella would be coming over tomorrow, and although she had no issue with her control, Rosalie did not want to risk it.

Before she could step outside, Emmett crashed into her. “What are we hunting today, Rosie?” He waggled his eyebrows, a roguish smirk emphasizing his right dimple.

“Well, I am hunting deer.” Not waiting for a response, she sprinted into the woods.

Ignoring the goofball following her, Rosalie let her instincts take over. Her ears and nose immediately latched onto the heartbeats and musk of the deers’ blood, a herd of them to her right. She slowed down as she neared them, she was not interested in a chase. 

Deciding on the doe closest to her, she lunged at it, snapping its neck in an instant. Once she finished draining it, Emmett was at her side. She peered over his shoulder and noticed the dead buck a few meters away.

“Couldn’t do your own hunting?” She taunted in her most haughty voice possible.

He placed his hand on his head “You wound me.” His expression switched to one of arrogance and shrugged his shoulders. “I just happen to work smarter not harder.”

Rosalie just rolled her eyes. “So why did you decide to join me?” 

“Can’t I just enjoy some time with my favorite blonde sister?” He nudged my side as they strolled through the forest. 

She narrowed her eyes. “Try again.”

He shook his head. “Fine.” Emmett huffed. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. You know, since Bella is at La Push right now. And you seemed pretty mad on the ride home.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “And then you locked yourself in the garage.” 

Taking her silence in stride, he continued. “It’s okay to be worried, you know? She’s in a place, where you can’t go in case something goes wrong.”

Rosalie’s growl ripped through the woods, scaring away any and all wildlife. “Is that supposed to make me feel better? That she’s with those filthy mutts.”

He lifted his hands in a placating manner. “No, but you know that they wouldn’t do anything to expose themselves to humans, much less to any one not from the tribe.” He paused. “Besides we don’t even know if they’re even on the beach, they’re probably on patrol.”

She contemplated his words, some of her anxiety slightly ebbing away. “It’s getting dark.” She noted the hues of orange, pink,and purple painting the sky and the light glow from the moon when they started the hunt was gone. The sky would have been an endless dark canvas if not for the illumination of the stars and moon. 

He nodded, understanding the underlying meaning of her words. They stood in the middle of the forest for a few minutes, each in their own thoughts. The sounds of wildlife returned; the quiet chirping of crickets, the scurrying of squirrels searching for food, and the trilling of birds.

A buzz interrupted the calm quietude of nature. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that Bellie Bear is safe and sound. She just sent a text message to Alice.” He hands her his phone, demonstrating the screenshot Alice sent him. They continued their walk.

She released a sigh of relief, she didn’t know she was holding in. The anxiety completely vanished at the sight of the photo, but it immediately flared up again. Bella mentioned that she was excited for tomorrow. Her mind was too preoccupied worrying about Bella being at La Push, that she kept forgetting that Bella’s visit would take place tomorrow.  
Rosalie had attempted to persuade Alice to delay her visit, believing that it was too soon. However, the energetic pixie brushed her off by stating that she had been patient enough, she was going to invite her best friend, whether or not Rosalie would be there was up to the blonde. Knowing it was futile to argue with the seer when she cemented her decision, she yielded. And maybe, some miniscule part of her had been thrilled at the prospect of seeing the human outside of school.

A poke to her stomach made her flinch. “Nope. Come on. You are not allowed to be uptight. Your mate is coming over tomorrow.”

She swatted at the offending hand. “Don’t you think that perhaps that is the reason as to why I would be anxious.” Realizing she admitted feeling uneasy, she added, “not that I am.”

“Sure, Rosie, whatever you say.” Emmett’s playfulness dampens as he continues. “But in all seriousness, Rose, nothing is going to happen.”

She gives him a scathing look. “You mean a human entering the home of seven vampires is nothing? That there is no danger?”

“Yes.” He states with confidence. “Hey, don’t give me that look. All of, aside from Esme, have been in her presence with no issues. Even Jasper, who struggles the most out of all of us, could be near her with his eyes only slightly darkening, no where close to black. And Eddie backed off his paranoid thinking too.”

As much as she did not admit, Emmett was right. No one seemed to have an issue with her blood, as if diluted. Aside from Rosalie, the others agreed that her natural scent was faint, easily overridden by surrounding aromas and fragrances. It astounded her, because she could easily pick up her heavenly honey and lilac scent; an observation she noticed when she was still in denial about Bella being her mate.

“It feels as though...” She stopped, not finding the right words. “Don’t you believe it’s too soon? I’ve only spoken two words to her?”

He softly chuckled. “I mean at your pace, you probably wouldn’t have asked until graduation day.” He joked, while shaking his head at her glower. “You’ve been hanging out with us for a few weeks now. I’m pretty sure she considers you a friend by this point, probably a weird friend, but a friend nonetheless.”

“Weird? How am I weird?”

“You literally have not spoken to her until today. Plus you’re always intently focused on her, and no matter how discrete you tried to be, she noticed. Although...” He trailed off, a giddy look on his face.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow in question. “Although?” she prompted, but he just waved it off. “You are incorrigible. How is her finding me weird supposed to calm me?”

He sends her an impish grin. “I can’t tell you.” He raised his right hand. “I am sworn to secrecy. Bella would kill me if I told you. Her considering you a friend, despite your odd behavior, should calm you.”

Rosalie huffed. “It’s not like she can kill you, but fine. And I am not odd.” Though, as she spoke those words, Rosalie could not help feel embarrassed by her actions, though she would never confess that to her idiot friend.

“Besides, I can’t exactly help you if you don’t tell me what is actually worrying you.”

Biting her bottom lip, she mulled over her thoughts. Once again, Emmett was correct. She is not the most open with her feelings, so how can she expect him to know her worries.

“I feel as though there is this pressure of telling her everything, since you and Alice are so eager. I don’t know if I am ready to reveal our secret. Because if we tell her about vampires, then I would have to explain why we told her, which would to me needing to inform her of my connection to her.” She took a deep breath. “And I want to establish a better relationship with her, before disclosing that she is my mate.”

He nodded with his face pinched in concentration. “First, I’m sorry. Sometimes, Alice and I get ahead of ourselves. Second, you don't have to tell her anything tomorrow. Just enjoy yourself, maybe say more than two words to her. The closer you get to her, maybe the more comfortable you’ll be when telling her about us. Just know that you lucked out with Bellie-bear, she’s amazing.” He finished with a caring smile. 

She reached out to hug him, thankful that he was always there for her. “Let’s go home.”

***

Repeated honks disrupted Bella from the sketch she was currently working one, immediately followed by the vibration of her phone. She guessed Alice was waiting outside and was proven right when she glanced at the message. She hadn’t realized that it was five o’clock already. A quick glance at her outfit and tucking her phone into her back pocket, she made her way downstairs. A small grin on her face at the shirt she thought was fitting for the occasion.

Charlie was sitting on the couch with a beer in his hand, watching a baseball game. Bella made sure to stomp down the stairs, so he couldn’t claim she was trying to do a sneak attack.

He pressed mute on the remote. “So I’m assuming the honking is for you?”

She rolled her eyes. “Alice is many things, but patient is not one of them.”

He just shook his head. “You would think that being a vampire would have helped.” His eyes focused on her shirt, and a grin filled his face. “Nice shirt.”

Bella had chosen to wear her shirt depicting the poster of the original 1931 Dracula film. She found it while thrifting with Renee in a small store in Phoenix and while she generally hated shopping, thrift stores hold a special place in her heart. Renee thought it was the funniest thing ever, so she bought it with no hesitation. When she proudly showed it to Pierre, he displayed no emotion, stating that he questioned whether they were family. It didn’t make her like it any less, if anything she wore it whenever he would visit just to see his reaction.

“Thanks Charlie. I thought it was perfect for today.”

A long honk interrupted once again. “Well you better get going. Don’t want an angry vampire on my hands. Oh And good luck.”

She had updated all three of her parental figures about today's plans, wanting their opinions. Charlie was pretty much indifferent, which fit his laidback nature. Renee had been ecstatic as she was more focused on my crush on Rosalie, as this was officially my first crush. On the other hand, Pierre wanted her to text him throughout the evening. She guessed that the issue with Edward still plagued his mind, even after I told him that the broody vampire had stopped. Well for the most part, as on some occasions he still attempted to use his gift.

As soon as Bella stepped outside the house, Alice lowered the window of the passenger side of her Porsche. “About time, you take forever.” she playfully complained.

“I’m sorry that you don’t possess this thing called patience. You should try it sometime, I heard it’s not that difficult to learn.” She slid into the car and buckled her seat belt.

She snorted. “Haha funny. Some of us prefer to practice a more useful skill. Like fashion.” Alice eyed her outfit of skinny jeans and oversized t-shirt.

Bella glared at the pixie. “Excuse me, this t-shirt is amazing. Who doesn’t like classic horror films?” She fixed the shirt, so that the image would be free of the seat belt.

"Dracula, eh?” Alice’s hands imperceptibly clenched the steering wheel, but relaxed a second after.

“Yup.” She responded, popping the ‘p’. “There’s something about the supernatural. Witches, werewolves. . . vampires.” Bella was never one to pass up the opportunity to tease.

She tensed once again. “Hmmm. . . I can see the appeal.” The vampire paused, not sure what to say. “Oh we’re almost here.” Relief apparent in her voice as she pointed ahead.

The dense forestry began to clear, the dirt road stopping to a large clearing. A giant two story modern manor taking up the entire space. Bella was in awe. She was so distracted by the beauty and size of the home that she almost missed Alice telling everyone that they had arrived under her breath.

“Come on Bella. Are you going to enter, or are you just going to stare?” She poked the taller girl’s stomach.

Before the vampire hybrid was able to remark, she was lifted out of her seat. “Bellie Bear! You’re finally here, about time.” Instead of placing her on the ground, he tossed Bell over his shoulder. “Come on, Bella. You have to meet our parents. Well, Esme since Carlisle isn’t home yet. Something about dropping off paperwork at the hospital.”

As they entered the house, a soft but stern voice spoke. “Emmett! Put her down, now! That’s no way to treat our guests.”

“You're no fun.” Emmett groaned, but gently set her on the ground and stepped away. In front of Bella, stood a beautiful raven haired vampire who had a very loving presence. Although Bella knew she wasn't their actual mother, it didn’t diminish the motherly aura. 

The older vampire extended her arms, bringing her in for a hug. “Hello. I’m Esme Cullen. I’m sorry about Emmett, dear. No matter how hard I try, his manners don’t improve.” She looked disapprovingly at him, making the girl chuckle. 

“Don’t worry Mrs. Cullen. From what I’ve seen, Emmett is a bit of a slow learner,” Bella staged whisper to her. 

They both laughed at the look of betrayal on his face and the slight pout that was growing by the second. Jasper joined their teasing as he walked downstairs. He stopped by her side to pull her into a side hug, shocking Bella as this was the first time he made any form of contact with her. She couldn’t hold back the beaming smile, nor did she want to.

Alice had disappeared a moment ago, and she would’ve wondered where the pixie went, but she heard her upstairs, arguing with Edward about coming down to be polite. 

Although Edward stopped his glaring and prodding, he still interacted with her with suspicion in his eyes. When I asked Alice about this earlier this week, she just told me he had trouble warming up to people,to ignore them for now. 

Bella was just thankful that Rosalie had somewhat warmed up to. Even though her crush had yet to speak more than a sentence to her, it didn’t take away the slight happiness at no longer being at the receiving end of her glares. She knew the car crash played a role with the change in attitude, but it felt like there was more to it. Bella didn’t try to look further as she was just content letting everything be.

“Bellie Bear! How dare you?! You’re supposed to be on my side. Your words hurt my fragile heart,” Emmett dramatically cried as he covered his “wounded” heart with his hands.

“Aww, you poor baby. Don’t worry, your sweetness makes up for it.” She walked over to him an went onto her tiptoes to give him a small kiss on his cheek.

However, as soon as her lips touched his skin, a deafening snarl reverberated throughout the room. She turned towards the origin and found an enraged Rosalie, who looked ready to attack. Her eyes were endless pits of darkness. Bella tensed up, not in fear, but in case she had to defend herself. Pierre taught how to fight every time he would visit her. He said that she needed to know how to defend herself in case anything happened.

It’s then that she noticed that the coal-black eyes were focused on Emmett’s arm, which was pushing her behind him. Going with her instinct she decided to step out of his protection. Bella looked directly into Rosalie’s eyes to show her that she was not a threat. The further she stepped away from Emmett, the quieter her growls fell.

“Hey, I’m back. Sorry I’m late.” Dr. Carlisle interrupted. He stopped and took in the scene around him. Or at least pretended to because she was pretty sure that he had some idea as to what he was walking into.

Instantaneously, Rosalie snapped out of her aggressive state. Her eyes returned to their usual amber condition. “Shit.” she whispered, and rushed upstairs though not in the graceful manner Bella associated with her.

Esme took initiative, clearing her throat to recapture our attention. “Alice. Jasper. Could you guys check on your sister?,” she more or less commanded rather than asked. “Bella, sorry about that, she’s been more grouchy than usual. Anyways, this is my husband. Carlisle Cullen.”

Bella cleared her throat. She followed her lead and brushed Rosalie’s outburst away and tried to ignore the talking from upstairs. “Hello Dr. Cullen, nice to see you again. Thank you for inviting me over. Your house is beautiful and the decor is perfect.”

Esme beamed at her and Carlisle nodded. “Thank you. Esme loves interior design, made it a hobby of hers.” He reached for his wife’s hand, to hold it. “But please call us by our first names. Dr. and Mrs. are too formal. Now come to the dinner table. Edward and Emmett, can you boys set the table, please?”

However, she heard the guilt and worry from the conversation upstairs. Rosalie believed that she revealed their secret and ruined everything. Bella didn’t know what ‘everything’ entailed, but she couldn’t bear the thought of the blonde blaming herself, especially when she could fix it. This was not how she planned to reveal her secret and the fact that she knew theirs, but when did anything go according to plan?

“Actually, can that wait a moment? I have something important to tell you all. Can we head to the living room?” She asked with a serious look. “Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie, you guys too. I know you guys can hear me.” At the last statement, everyone froze.


	9. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of Bella's visit to the Cullens' home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay again. Moving back onto campus has been very hectic, especially since classes officially started Wednesday. Nursing school is already proving to be kicking my ass, so its going to be one long semester. 
> 
> Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter. I will try to continue uploading once a week but it will really depend on my schedule.

A red haze engulfed Rosalie’s mind, overpowering any sense of logic. One moment she had been in the kitchen, anxiously fussing over the food, hoping to calm her nerves before making an appearance and the next she was walking into the living room, witnessing Bella kiss Emmett. It was an innocent and friendly peck, but her body became possessed by an acute surge of jealousy and it sparked every nerve in her. A snarl ripped from her lips with such intensity that she was hard pressed to believe that it came from her. Her mind kept screaming ‘MINE’ over and over again, powerless in restraining the growls that escaped her throat when he stepped forward, keeping her mate away from her. 

The room brimmed with tension, every one of her coven mates were ready to intercept at the slightest twitch of her body, but she didn’t care. Emmett was no longer the gentle and childish boy with deep dimples she saved from a bear, the one who wasn’t deterred from her constant rebuffs in his chase for her friendship, and who ultimately became her rock. At that instant Rosalie was prepared to fight anyone and everyone who got in her path of removing the threat. 

She had been about to attack, until she made eye contact with brown orbs swirling with, what she perceived as, fear and her growling immediately subsided. It further decreased the further Bella stepped away from Emmett, ceasing completely with Carlisle's arrival as it snapped Rosalie out of her volatile state. Guilt, shame, and humiliation replaced the anger that had coursed throughout her body. So she did the only thing she could do. She ran.

She retreated to her bed, hugging a pillow tight against her chest. Her nails dug into it, distressing the soft material in hopes of regaining even just an inkling of control. First the car crash, now this? Rosalie despised, despised, not having control over herself. It was one of the many aspects she hated about vampires; the struggle to suppress instincts. What once had been as simple as breathing air became a constant battle.

“Rose? Can we come in?” Alice’s concerned voice, slightly muffled by the closed door, interrupted her panic. At this point, her mind was muddled by self-deprecation; she prided herself on her control, that she had to restore as a vampire, and in less than a year, Bella ruined that. It felt like Bella ripped away all her defenses and left her vulnerable. 

“Fine,” she relented as she was too exhausted to build up her defenses. 

Her door opened and Alice sat on the corner of my bed without her usual exuberance. Jasper chose the chair in the corner of her room. “Do you want to talk about it?” Rosalie said nothing, but Alice waited patiently for my answer, something she knew was killing the shorter vampire.

Finally, she spoke. “I didn’t want her to find out about us like that.” They said nothing, knowing that she was not done. “Nothing was supposed to happen today. Just a dinner but. . .” She tightened my hold on the pillow, sounds of tearing filling the room. She looked towards the glass panes that led to the balcony, focused on the forest. “I messed that up”

Alice grabbed her hands. “First of all, we don’t know what she knows -” her scoff interrupted the pixie. “Hey, listen to me. We don’t know anything for sure. I don’t think that the first thing that would pop into her mind is a vampire. Second of all, I know that’s not the only thing bothering you. Look at me.” It took a moment before I’m able to look into her eyes.

“I don’t know”

Alice rubbed the back of her’ hands in an attempt to soothe her guilt-ridden sister. “Do you want Jasper’s help?” Her voice all, but begging Rosalie to accept help. The small vampire had never seen her in such a distressed state as the blonde normally chose to hide any vulnerability with glares and sharp words.

Rosalie trusted Jasper and his powers; he had never violated her trust, asking for permission before doing anything. It was why she had not been bothered when he took her last name, even if it was just for appearance sake. So she nodded her consent.

“How ‘bout you start by closing your eyes.” Rosalie was hesitant,feeling slightly silly, but looking at the sincerity of his eyes, she felt helpless to resist. A sense of calm slowly crept over her, making it feel natural as opposed to an abrupt impact of tranquility. She sent Jasper a grateful smile.

They had been so focused amongst themselves that they had been unaware of what had been occurring downstairs and it wasn’t until their brief pause that Bella’s voice registered. Her tone had been serious, not carrying a trace of her usual wittiness. If they were humans, their blood would have run cold with her words.

“I know you guys can hear me.”

* * * *

Despite their attempt to appear nonchalant, the vampire’s stillness betrayed them, like they forgot to breathe and resembled statues as opposed to the humans they were trying to be.

The only one that neglected to continue the charade was Edward. He reverted back to the suspicion-filled glares and tracked every move Bella made similar to when she had first arrived in Forks. It didn’t surprise the young half-breed that his prodding returned. Annoying? Yes. Surprising? No. Although he had stopped his constant assault on my mind after the car crash, there had been the occasional nudge every now and then. However, the results were the same. 

He snarled in frustration. “What do you know?” he demanded as he took a step towards Bella, who narrowed her eyes at his threat. The bronze-haired vampire paused and closed his eyes for a second, to calm himself down.

“Edward! Just sit down. Let her speak, son. Please,” Carlisle commanded, still attempting to be polite. Alice, Jasper, and Rosalie reached the living room and sat across from her. Edward clenched his jaw and sat as well.

Seeing that everyone was sitting and waiting for her to start, Bella took a deep breath and began. “I know that you guys are vampires. I’ve known since the very beginning, even before I met Edward or Alice. So no one here is at fault.” She directed the last comment towards Rosalie, wanting to relieve her guilt. “I’m sorry for lying. These past few weeks, I’ve been debating when I should tell you guys, especially after the car incident. Then you invited me and thought it was the perfect opportunity.” She looked up to see shock and confusion on every face.

“May I ask how you know this, Bella?” Carlisle kindly questioned, curiosity evident in his tone. 

Edward scoffed as he ran his fingers through his hair, pulling quite harshly at the roots. “Isn't it obvious, Carlisle? She was at La Push yesterday, it was probably them.” He hissed the last word with clear contempt. “They broke the treaty, we have to do something.”

“Who? The Quileute wolves?” Bella intervened before Carlisle could speak.

This time Edward did not restrain himself as he charged at her. “Are you one of them? Or how else do you know about them?” His voice grew in volume with each word.  
Before he could get too close, Rosalie moved quickly and placed herself in front of Bella in a crouched position, her growling making Edward hesitate. The blonde’s actions since the car accident have confused her, especially with what occurred earlier. She was. . . protective? She couldn’t wrap her head around her friend’s behavior. Her actions have been totally opposite of her words as she has only spoken two words to her. It was confusing to say the least.

Both Esme and Carlisle slowly made their way to stand between their two “children”. Esme gently placed her hand on Rosalie’s shoulder while Carlisle tugged Edward’s arm. 

Eventually, Edward backed down and returned back to his seat with Carlisle staying by his side in case that his intervention was needed again. Rosalie didn’t move from her crouch until she was satisfied that he would not make another move, but she still remained fairly close to Bella, causing the brunette's heartbeat to accelerate and face to blush, much to the hybrid’s chagrin.

Bella cleared her throat to gather everyone’s attention once again, trying to ignore her embarrassment. “They didn’t reveal your secret, they didn’t even tell me about them being wolves.”  
She continued. “18 years ago, there were two vampires, Pierre and Alexandre, who roamed Europe together for a little over two centuries. They stumbled upon a small town in the countryside of Italy, where they decided to feed before moving on. As they closed in on their target, Alexandre captured a new scent and followed it without a second thought. It led to a small house, where he discovered a woman sitting on a porch singing quietly to herself. At that moment, he knew he had found his mate. Pierre had followed him there, and tried to change his decision, but Alexandre would not sway and so his friend watched everything unfold. He saw his best friend battle his thirst to spend time with Marie, not wanting to force her into becoming a vampire. Everything was going well, she even handled the news of vampires well and accepted their thirst for blood. It wasn’t until he came to his friend one night, with the news that she was pregnant. No one knew what to do, they didn’t think it was possible. Then came the rapid growth of the fetus that seemed to be sucking the life of his mate. He wanted to kill it, but she was adamant on keeping the baby. In the end, Marie did not survive, leaving behind a baby and her mate,” She finished with a teary-eyed smile.

“Are you saying that you're a vampire?,” Emmett asked, looking for clarification.

“That can’t be true. You have a heartbeat and blood running through your body. So what are you?,” Edward demanded.

Bella shook her head at their obliviousness. “According to Pierre, I’m half vampire and half human.”

Carlisle was the next to speak. “So Pierre took care of you?” 

“Yes, he’s my uncle. My father couldn’t handle the death of my mother and he became frenzied. He begged Pierre to kill him.” Bella spoke in a monotonous voice. She never had to tell the story before and didn’t realize how much it hurt to speak about them, about the parents she never got to meet/remember. The brown-eyed girl made eye contact with Esme, who sent her a comforting smile. Suddenly, Jasper moved from his spot to stand by my side and held my hand in comfort. A quiet growl broke out, but instantly quieted.

“I still don’t understand how Charlie comes into play,” Alice commented, her brow furrowing in confusion.

She knew there was something that slipped her mind. “Well, Pierre decided that it would be better if I grew up in the presence of humans and have some sort of stability rather than traveling so often. Charlie and Renee already knew of the presence of vampires,so he thought they were the best choice.” She paused to think. “And if it's okay, i would like to save that story for another time.”

Her eyes drifted to Rosalie’s direction, hoping to get a sense of what her emotions are. She had been silent this entire time, with the exception of the small growl earlier. However, she appeared to be stoic, no emotion on her face. Her eyes were guarded, cold hardened amber eyes staring at nothing in particular.

“How do we know you’re telling the truth? How do we know you aren’t with the wolves? And why is it that I can’t read your thoughts?,” Edward fired the questions without pause.

She grinned ear to ear, ignoring the questions. “How about an arm wrestle?” Bella directed it towards Emmett, knowing his competitiveness would make it impossible to say no. It would lessen the seriousness of the room, moving on to something more fun and after Edward’s rude behavior, she wasn’t willing to answer his questions.

Emmett jumped up. “Hell yeah! You ready to go down, Belly bear?” His excitement was contagious, making everyone except Edward and Rosalie chuckle. He walked towards the back of the house, but stopped and turned to me to say, “Everyone, come on. We need an audience.”

The hybrid stood up and followed him. “Are you sure you want witnesses for your defeat?” she playfully taunted as she poked his bicep, happy to relieve some tension. It also felt so amazing to not have to act or pretend anymore.

Once they reached the backyard, he punched a stone the size of the wall. It cracked and a large piece broke off. He picked it up and placed it on the floor between them for a make-shift table. “Show off.” Bella scoffed though it was easily followed by a smile.

They settled their arms in the middle of the slab of stone, flexing their muscles in a silly attempt to intimate the other. Jasper took initiative to become the referee,placing his hand on top of the competitors . “Ready… Set… Go!” He released their hands in a flash.

Their arms didn’t move an inch. She could feel the pressure that Emmett was applying, but she just merely put the same amount of strength. The younger girl could tell that he wasn’t using all his strength. 

“Taking it easy on me?”

He guffawed. “Just trying to see if you can keep up.”

The pressure increased, yet it was not enough for her arm to budge and she pretended to cover a yawn with her other hand in order to push his buttons. Finally she could see Emmett’s arm quiver and the frustration building on his face with each passing second.

“Not as easy as you thought, huh Emmett?” So she thought that she would put an end to their little competition, growing bored with the game. She slammed his arm down against the stone, breaking the stone in half without an effort. The incredulous shock on his face made her laugh uncontrollably, causing the others to join in. With the exception of Edward, of course, but even Rosalie managed to smile, the corner of her lip curling ever so slightly. Bella quickly looked away before blood rushed to her face and sold her out. 

Emmett flopped on the ground covering his face and groaned. “How is this possible? You’re half human, meaning you shouldn’t have our full strength!,” he complained dramatically as he threw himself on the ground.

“Pierre explained to me that it is the same concept as to why newborn vampires are incredibly strong. It’s blood. It acts as a boost of strength, my venom burns it and my body uses it as fuel. The only drawback is that depending on how much I use, it takes a moment for me to recuperate, either by resting or drinking blood.”

“This is fascinating. I would love to ask you questions, later, if that’s okay with you Bella.” Carlisle looked so excited that she couldn't help but nod. It would also serve as an opportunity for her to learn more about herself.

Alice was practically vibrating. “I knew that I was right. I told all of you, she was going to be amazing,” she squealed as she rushed towards her best friend, practically tackling her in a hug, not restraining her strength anymore. The taller girl was surprised that the pixie hadn’t spoken until then, but was ecstatic that she was not going to hold a grudge against her.

She pulled back to look at her, eyebrows raised. “You knew? How?”

“Well I’m able to predict the future, sometimes. However, it is also very finicky because it could always change depending on a person’s decision.”

Her jaw dropped in awe. “That’s so amazing! Does anyone else have abilities besides Alice and Edward?” She glanced around at everyone, eager to know everything about them.

Jasper stepped forward. “I am able to sense people’s emotions and able to control them. Although I try not to do the latter without people’s consent.”

If possible my eyes got wider. “Can you try it on me please?,” she pleaded.

“I’m sorry, darling, but I don’t think I can. I have to focus very hard to just grasp a reading on you, and it’s very weak,” Jasper admitted. Suddenly, a very intense stab attacks my head, followed by a series of prods. It was much more painful, bordering on agonizing, not the usual sensation of Edward’s ability. It was much more aggressive and painful.

A low warning growl emanated from her chest, as her body instinctively crouched, similar to Rosalie’s earlier position. Her eyes landed on Edward and the growls grew louder. Everyone looked confused at the sudden aggressiveness displayed by the usually sweet girl, unaware of what was happening. 

“Stop that!” she snarled, not able to reign in her anger any longer. Bella clenched her hands in an attempt to control myself. It clicked in Alice’s mind immediately after, and she did not hesitate to glare and march towards Edward.  
“Edward! Stop trying to read her mind!”

Finally the prodding eased and the pain subsided, but her mind refused to calm from the whirlwind that were her thoughts. She could feel her control slipping, her entire body shook with a combination of anger and slight fear. The vampire hybrid had never lost control before. 

Just as she felt the last of her control slip, a pair of arms wrapped around her, pressing her back against their front. Honey and lilac assaulted her nose, and in an instant, the tension in her body was soothed away. Her growling eased into a soft content rumbling and her eyes closed in relaxation. Bella’s eyes snapped open as she realized that everyone left, leaving only her and the person holding her. She immediately jumped out of her hold, the burning blush spreading across her face impossible to ignore.

Bella looked everywhere, everywhere except Rosalie. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “It’s just that Edward keeps prodding and I usually ignore him, But this time it hurt, it felt like someone was stabbing me. And I’m really…”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Rosalie said in order to interrupt her rambling. “But we have to talk.” Amber eyes burned a hole in her own.


	10. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Rosalie finally speaks more than a few words to Bella!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally finished another chapter. 
> 
> Just 2 weeks of nursing school and my brain is ready to implode. I already feel very behind, so I will continue to try to write in my spare time!
> 
> Thank you so much for continue to read!

She wanted to kill Edward, or at least let Bella attack him. But Rosalie knew that Bella would not forgive herself if she hurt someone. So the blonde did the only thing she could think of, which was trapping her mate against her chest. She did not expect her to relax as quickly as she did, much less the purr like sound that emitted from her. Rosalie almost pouted when the brunette jumped away from her arms.

She interrupted her mate’s rambling, eager and anxious to talk to her. It took a minute for her to respond. Bella went from a shy and bumbling girl to a serious guarded girl within that time, which only increased her level of anxiety.

Long tresses of chestnut hair swayed as she nodded in agreement. “I’m assuming you want to talk some other place, away from Alice’s ears?,” Bella said, never being able to resist teasing Alice’s inability to not eavesdrop.

“Hey! I object to that statement,” Alice disputed from upstairs, making the vampire shake her head in amusement. 

“Yeah, I have a spot in mind. Follow me?,” Bella asked her with a small, hesitant smile. 

“Lead the way,” Rosalie responded and followed her into the forest.

She was curious as to where Bella was leading her as there were no signs of hesitance or uncertainty in her gait. It was entrancing. Now that the human facade had been put to rest, there was a sense of freedom that reflected in the way she moved, jumping and running with an ease the reserved vampire had not associated with her. Even with the newfound knowledge about Bella’s vampirism didn’t take away from complete and utter wonder radiating from her unbeating heart.

Reluctantly, she peeled her eyes away from the younger girl’s lithe form and focused on organizing her thoughts, so that she wouldn’t look like a bumbling fool when the time came to explain everything. Rosalie was aware that being vulnerable has always been an issue for her, so she wanted to at least try not to come across as angry or emotionless, as she often does. She’s heard the whispers of her “resting bitch face” from the students in school.

Before she could think further, she felt a hand grasping her forearm, stopping her body from running

Rosalie turned in a flash, not appreciating being held so roughly.

“Sorry. I told you we were here, but you kept running. So I … Sorry.” Bella had a sheepish look so she couldn’t fault the hybrid for her own mistake, especially since the brunette appeared uncomfortable and apologetic.

“It’s okay.”

She looked unsure, but moved on after a moment. “If we go back that way,” she pointed in the direction behind us, “we should be in the spot in a few seconds.”

So she followed the younger girl, making sure to pay attention to her surroundings rather than getting lost in her thoughts again. One moment they were in what seemed like any other part of the forest and then the next they stepped into a painting. Rosalie heard the splashing of water, but just attributed it to a simple stream. However, what appeared in front of her was anything but simple

She was right about a stream, but failed to imagine the gorgeous waterfall and its pond/stream on the center of the small clearing. Though it was small, it’s size did not subtract from the etherealness of it.

“It’s beautiful, Bella,” she breathed out in awe and disbelief, wondering how the existence of this place had remained unbeknownst to her all this time. 

A slight blush painted upon her face. At that moment, the clouds parted and the slight sunlight, eager to escape it’s confined cell, fell onto Bella's skin. It didn’t shine like theirs. Rather than sparkling like a diamond, a subtle glow illuminated her skin, almost as if she were a sun herself. Lovely. 

She turned to face Rosalie, “How’d you find -” a gasp escaped her mouth.

The taller vampire felt her brows furrow. “What?,” she asked, looking behind her as to what could have caused her reaction.

“You’re skin… it’s stunning,” she stammered. Stunning. If she were human, her face would be tinted with a strong blush and her heart would be beating out of her chest.

She tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, still not accustomed to Bella’s effect on her. “Thank you.” She calmed her undead heart, letting out a shaky breath.

Her warm chocolate eyes melted into amber. “Hey, we’ve been hanging out for weeks now, you don’t have to be nervous. Right?”

“Right.” She nodded and accepted her invitation to sit down on the rocks bordering the pond, collecting her thoughts. “The day when I first saw you, when I first made eye contact, I knew that in that moment my life would change. But I’m stubborn, so I tried to fight it. I was actually stupid enough to think I could defeat instinct,” She scoffed and shook her head.“I grew accustomed to being in control and being closed off seemed like the best method to accomplish that. I was comfortable and didn’t want to do anything that would risk our coven. But then seeing you interact with Alice, Emmett, Jasper, it got more difficult to not like you. And then. . .” Rosalie paused to recollect her emotions, “the car crash. I just reacted. Alice made me realize it was foolish to continue to ignore the facts.

So I thought that slowly immersing myself in your little after school group would yield the best results in getting close to you. I had to stop myself from fighting every idiotic high school boy that would ask you out. And when you went to La Push, I wanted to go and grab you, not trusting those stupid mutts.

When you kissed Emmett earlier today, I was ready to attack my best friend without hesitation.” She took another pause to gather courage. “I know this is a lot to take in. But I would like to know you better, is that okay?”

She didn’t say anything, for what seemed like forever in Rosalie's mind. “So all this time, you knew I was your mate?,” Bella questioned without judgment in her tone.

“Yes and no. I suspected it at first, but I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t until the car crash, when my thoughts were confirmed. You were constantly in my mind,” the blonde divulged, trying to be completely honest.

“Why didn't you talk to me sooner?,” Bella asked, still being able to tease her at the same time.

“At first, it was because I thought you were human. And I also thought that it would be selfish of me to expect you to be with a vampire.” She resisted the urge to nervously pick at her sweater.

When Bella started speaking, Rosalie stopped. “Did it occur to you that it was my choice to make?” She continued to speak without any judgment, only genuine curiosity. 

“Like I said, I’m stubborn. But. . . then I did come to that conclusion eventually. And when I hung out with you all, I didn’t know how to talk to you.” she admitted, being somewhat embarrassed.

They sat in silence, leaning on the rocks with our arms holding us upright. Their arms were so close together, that their fingers were centimeters apart, so close that Rosalie could feel the warmth radiating from Bella.

As if she wasn’t already gawking at her, the sun decided to come out of its hiding spot once again and made her forget every thought. Eyes closed, deep in thought, and seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, Bella soaked in the sun. 

Being trapped in a trance, Rosalie almost missed her response.

“Yup,” she simply stated. A smile graced her face. She laughed at her puzzled expression.

“Yup?” The blonde vampire felt as though she was always two steps behind her mate.

“Yup,” she confirmed. “I want to see where this goes. I felt this inexplicable draw to you from the very first day at the cafeteria, but brushed it off. Then later, when it got stronger, I labeled it as a crush. 

“Maybe getting to know more about you will inspire me to draw something other than lilacs.” She just managed to contain the grin, still not able to completely overcome her habit of hiding her emotions from her expression. 

Masking her true emotions had become second nature and if she were being honest, part of her feared that it might hinder the progress of their potential relationship. Rosalie should not care, it's how she has always been and she should not change for anyone, even if that person is her mate. 

Yet . . .

She shook her thoughts away, returning to the conversation at hand.

“Lilacs?,” She couldn’t help but ask. Her mind recalled Alice gushing over Bella’s sketch of a lilac from so many weeks ago.

Bella’s cheeks turned a rosy shade, highlighting her faint freckles. “You smell like honey and lilacs,” her mate mumbled shyly. “And that was the only thing I knew about you.”

“May I see them some time?”

She looked away, the corner of her mouth lifting. “Maybe. We’ll see.” Bella paused for a second. “So how do we do this?,” her left arm motioned between them. “Like, are we just friends or girlfriends? How do we start? I just want to know boundaries, so I don’t make you uncomfortable.”

She was at a loss. She did not have anything planned, which appalled the perfectionist in Rosalie. “I’m not sure? I didn’t really think I’d get this far.” 

It burned her pride to admit such detail, but she could not find a justification for her inattentiveness.

“How about we don’t put a label on us, so there’s no pressure while we get to know each other? And we just go with the flow. If there’s any troubles we deal with them together,” Bella proposed with a slight question at the end, wanting her opinion on the matter.

“That sounds perfect. Though, I do have one slight reservation that I wish I didn’t.” She nodded in encouragement. “The last thing I want to do is control you and I hate to ask you this. But can we be exclusive while we’re figuring this out? It’s extremely difficult to control my possessiveness.” 

She chuckled and Rosalie’s heart sank. Her chuckles died down at her sudden tenseness. “Oh no, Rosalie, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just. . .I thought that was a given,” she grabbed her hand in comfort, warming her hand in the process. “I have no interest in knowing any one, but you.”

She sighed,imperceptibly, in relief, her body slightly relaxing. “Thank you. And I’m sorry about earlier with Emmett. Seeing you kiss him, even if it was just a friendly peck, made me lose control.” 

She had almost let a growl slip, remembering it, but Bella glided her thumb over the top of hand and soothed it away. She looked down at their interlaced hands in wonder and betrayal as she never experienced that power of touch but still slightly annoyed at her body responding to her touch.

She zeroed back onto Bella, relieved that she did not notice her distraction.

“From what I know, possessiveness is natural between new mates especially with unbonded ones. It also didn’t help that I kissed an unmated vampire. But now that we’ve acknowledged what we are, it won’t be as bad.” Looking at her expression she added, “I think.”

“I’ll try my very best to reign it in. I promise.” I hooked my pink around hers, immediately feeling childish and embarrassed. Before Rosalie was able to remove her hand, the brunette surprised her by latching on, refusing to let her go.

A mischievous glint formed in her chestnut eyes. “So… where and when are you taking me for our first date, Miss Hale?” Rosalie almost choked, feeling her eyes widen before reigning her expression to a neutral one.

“Umm.” She cleared her throat, cursing that dreaded sound of hesitation that escaped her lips. Rosalie refused to stutter like a fool. “How about tomorrow? Or perhaps next weekend? We could drive to Seattle or Port Angeles for a movie? Or maybe a dinner” Once again Rosalie cursed herself for rambling and doubt, frustration creeping into her head but it was cut off by a chuckle.

“How about we take a moment to clear our minds.” 

Bella suddenly stood up and Rosalie thought that she would relinquish her hand, but the younger girl held on, urging her to stand up as well.

“Come on, I have the perfect place,” she insisted while tugging on her hand. 

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but ultimately got up and dusted herself off with her free hand, as the other remained in the tight grip of her mate. She followed Bella towards the waterfall, eventually standing behind it.

It was another surprise. Hidden from plain sight was a cave, not too large but enough space for the both of them to squeeze in and sit.

Immediately, Rosalie was surrounded by the noise of the rushing water hitting the pond and rocks.They were not completely engulfed in darkness due to their superior vision, but enough to hamper it slightly. It created a space of tranquility.

When she turned to face Bella, the other girl had already succumbed to the cave’s peace. Her arms wrapped around her knees, hugging them closely to her chest, allowing her to rest her head upon them. Curious-filled eyes were no longer revealing mischief as they closed in rest, almost as if she were sleeping.

Rosalie took a moment to observe the quiet girl before copying her position. She let the sound of the water overpower every other sense, abdicating her control to the cave.

She did not know how much time had passed before Bella grasped her hand, jarring her from the state of peace her mind had been completely immersed in.

“I think we should head back. I’m kinda hungry,” the half-human mumbled sheepishly and as she spoke, her stomach growled. 

Even in the dark Rosalie was able to tell the hybrid was blushing. Adoration stirred in her chest, softening her neutral expression microscopically. 

She nodded in response and exited the cave, feeling confused at the added weight on her left hand. She glanced down to find her pale hand intertwined with Bella’s slightly more warm-toned one.

Bella followed her gaze, and if possible, her face burned brighter as she stuttered through an explanation before loosening her hold. However, Rosalie’s grip refused to slacken and free her hand, shocking both girls.

An awkward air settled around them as they stood holding each other’s hand, yet avoided any and all eye contact.

Rosalie recollected her poise and searched for anything to break the stiff silence. “So how does that work exactly? Do you only eat human food? No blood?”

They started to walk back in the direction of the manor, both choosing to not acknowledge their hand holding.

“Well, I consume both. Or at least I did before Forks.”

Her eyebrows twitched in confusion. “What do you mean ‘before Forks’?”

“Uhm, well with Renee, I had access to blood bags so I would drink those. And once I reached a mature mental age and I would travel with Pierre, where I had no access to blood bags, I made the decision to drink blood directly from humans. However, when I got here, I knew your coven was here so I wasn’t sure how you all would react to a vampire hunting in your territory, so I refrained from doing so.”

To say Rosalie was stunned would be severely understated. The girl she had thought to be human hunted and killed humans, willingly.

“You hunt humans?” She was unable to hold the judgement from her voice.

“It was only when I wasn't with Renee and her blood bag access. I didn’t know there was another option until recently,” Bella quickly explained. “And the humans I hunt, I make sure they meet certain requirements. They’re not even humans, just monsters preying on the weak. Deplorable and repulsive,” she angrily muttered.

The flush on her face no longer from embarrassment, but from anger. Instead of her usual brown eyes, they were dark and nebulose, completely transforming the easy-going girl to an ominous vampire.

Her wording seemed familiar, reminding Rosalie of her own thoughts about her only human victims and forming a pit of heavy dread inside her.

She cleared her throat, her tongue weighing heavily in her mouth. “Monsters?”

“Yes. Monsters. I only hunt those that get a thrill from hurting others. Murderers, abusers, rapists.” Bella’s voice was full of venom, her hate as clear and sharp as a broken piece of glass.

All the judgement and reservation that Rosalie held before was wiped away completely. She could not and would not fault Bella for something she once did, and longed to do after her first humans once upon a time. 

Bella shook her head as if dislodging the dark emotions and thoughts away. “Anyways, umm I hope that this doesn’t change anything, but I understand if it does. I -”

“No,” Rosalie interrupted. “It does not. I will tell you why another time. But just know that I still wish to see where this goes.”

Her mate squeezed her hand. “Thank you.” She looked directly into Rosalie’s eyes. “If it helps, I was planning to ask you all about the ‘vegetarian’ diet.”

“That’ll probably make the others happy. Only if that is truly what you want.” Once again Bella’s stomach chose to speak up. “However, at this moment, we should probably take care of that,” she pointed at Bella’s abdomen with her free hand, “taken care of with human food.”

Although Bella's face no longer blushed, the tips of her ears were tinged in red.  
“How about a race?” Bella suggested with the same enthusiasm that she challenged Emmett with earlier. 

Normally, Rosalie opposed such silly antics, but she did not find it within herself to deny something so simple from Bella so she nodded. It was baffling how quick the younger girl switched demeanors, but refreshing.

When the brunette released her hand, Rosalie’s hand instantly missed the warmth.  
She was soon distracted from it.

Bella leaned into her ear and whispered, “If you beat me to the house, I’ll give you a prize.” She winked and laughed as she sprinted away from Rosalie.


	11. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Bella spends some time with the Cullens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking longer than usual, I had my first exam of the semester. 
> 
> Also my updates will be random just because my workload is starting to increase, so I will stop apologizing every time I post late since I noticed that is what I have been doing this entire time and it is getting repetitive. :)
> 
> Anyways, hope y'all enjoy. And hope that you guys are thriving mentally, emotionally, and physically during these rough times. Be kind to yourselves!
> 
> Also if you are 18 and older (and live in the U.S), don't forget to vote!!

It took a second before the blonde, her mate, started sprinting after her and eventually caught up to her.

In hindsight, Bella should’ve known, or at least, suspected something. But she had been so caught up in the excitement in making her first real friends that she chalked anything unusual to her lack of knowledge in friendships, or any relationships in general. It was why she labeled her interest in Rosalie as merely a crush, the thought of mates never crossing her mind.

When she was younger, she had been fascinated with mates as it was the very first detail Pierre told her about her parents. She would beg Pierre to tell her everything and anything about them, wanting to feel a connection to them. His stories mainly revolved around her father as he only knew her mother for a short time. But when he would speak about her mother, Pierre would mainly recount their love story, of how they met and their instantaneous affection. She had loved the idea of a mate and hoped to find her own one day, to have that special person that would stand by her side. However, Bella’s longing for her own mate had ended when she learned about the truth about her parents, the other side of mates that most choose to not talk about.

The inability to function after their mate’s death ends in two outcomes; they enter a dark depressive state where the vampire becomes a shell of themselves or they enter a crazed downward spiral that could only be ended by the promise of a swift death. They lost their reason to continue living.

From then on, she preferred to avoid the topic of mates.

Well, until now.

It came as a shock that Bella unknowingly moved towards the one thing she avoided. If she was being honest, she wanted to leave the moment the word ‘mate’ left Rosalie’s lips and move back to Phoenix with Renee.

But her body wouldn’t move.

Rosalie had stood in front of her with her usual stoicism and yet, when she looked closer, her eyes lacked their harsh glint, a softness lingering. Vulnerability. She was scared too.

Her first impression of Rosalie, aside from her unrivalled beauty that even surpassed vampire standards, had been the stoicism she displayed.

The only other emotion the hybrid had seen on her face was anger as she was on the receiving end of some of her glares when she first arrived at Forks. Then the taller girl saved her from the car, not that Bella would’ve died, but Rosalie didn’t know that at the time. Afterwards, her attitude seemed to do a full 180 when she started to hangout with their group. Then the whole Emmett thing earlier in the day.  


So she stayed, willing to hear her out. In part, it was to learn about this sense of familiarity and yearning that had dwelled in her from the moment she saw the guarded blonde.

Charlie and Pierre always teased her that spending so much time with Renee had impaired her curiosity as she was unable to resist satiating it. Granted, it wasn’t as extreme as Alice’s nosiness, but if there was an opportunity to appease her curiosity, she would take it.

And when Rosalie explained everything, Bella couldn’t help but feel like her younger self who was enamoured with the idea of mates and eagerly wished for her own. She refused to listen to Pierre when he told her that it could take decades before she would meet her match, adamant that her mate wouldn’t make her wait so long.

Apparently she was right.

Although her idea of mates was blemished with her parents’ history, Bella couldn’t ignore the thrill of exhilaration that ran up her spine.

If Rosalie could set aside her own stuff and be unguarded, then she can try to do the same. 

So she decided to give it a chance.

Besides, if Renee found out she passed out the chance to get to know her mate, especially since she turned out to be her crush, Bella would never hear the end of it.  


The house was with their sights and Rosalie pushed herself to go faster and took the lead. Bella could have easily used a burst of speed to beat her, but she couldn’t help but find her determination endearing. So she let her win.

She was left breathless when the golden vampire smiled, still not used to her expressing her emotions, even if it was the barest twitch of her lips. Rosalie turned around, smirking in victory. “So where’s the prize you promised me, Miss Swan?,” she taunted as she walked toward the younger girl.

Unlike the smile, there was no hesitance in expressing confidence and smugness. Bella guessed that rubbing in her winnings overwhelmed her stoicism.

The brunette placed her hand on her chin, in the classic thinking position. “Prize? Did I mention a prize?” Her eyebrow lifted, not believing the pretense. “Fine, I guess you won fair and square.” She got closer to her, but walked past her towards the house.

“What about my prize,” she complained almost inaudibly as she followed Bella towards the front door.

The hybrid looked over her shoulder and said, “Never told you when you’d get the prize,” and she winked.  


Normally, Bella wouldn’t be so forward. But this was too fun to pass up.

She entered the house and found all of them, but Edward, sitting in the living room. Alice jumped out of her seat and launched herself at her best friend, squealing in her ear. “I knew I was right about you,” she whispered excitedly. At that moment her stomach decided to growl, embarrassing her for the third time that day.

Just as Rosalie moved to sit down, Esme admonished her. “Rosalie, this is not how we treat our guests, much less your mate. Come here, Bella. Let’s get you some food,” she wrapped her arm around her new daughter’s shoulders, guiding her to the dining room.

Alice and Rosalie trailed behind them, with the latter muttering complaints about Esme. Bella turned around and stuck her tongue out at Rosalie, making Esme shake with affection-filled laughter. A familiar scowl made its way onto the blonde's face.

“So I made a lasagna with a side salad, thinking that it was a safe choice. Hopefully that’s okay?” She noted slight apprehension in Esme’s question.

“Of course it’s okay. I love lasagna. Plus, Rosalie has me starving, so I might eat the entire dish,” she reassured her, but also not being able to resist teasing Rosalie.

Now that she knew that Rosalie did not hate her, she was not safe from her teasing.

Esme shook her head in mock disappointment. “Here I thought I taught them manners. I don’t know where I went wrong,” she continued the light ribbing.

“Hey!,” Alice interjected. “You still have me!”

“That’s true. Thank goodness for that,” Esme stated before giving Alice a kiss on top of her head.

Everyone sat at the dinner table, the others joining after Esme admonished them. Carlisle sat at the head of the table, Esme, Jasper, and Alice to his right. On his left was Emmett, Bella, and Rosalie. Emmett, despite being his usual silly self, seemed a bit hesitant sitting next to her and Bella didn’t understand. That is until she glanced at Rosalie and saw the glare she was sending him. Bella poked her and raised her eyebrow like a mother would with a misbehaving child, causing everyone at the table to chuckle. She finally stopped her glaring and directed her attention towards Carlisle.

They spent the rest of dinner talking about almost every topic imaginable. The Cullen coven eagerly asked her questions about being half vampire and half human, Carlisle more so than the rest. It was so much fun for Bella to see everyone act without restraining themselves.

Eventually they moved to the living room and Emmett challenged me to several video games, finally losing his timidity. He had been looking forward to showing her the ropes, so that she could become his main opponent. He mentioned that Jasper and Edward were no fun, especially since the latter always cheated.

Then Alice stood in front of the tv, stating that it was her time to spend with her best friend. So she dragged the hybrid into her room, not allowing Rosalie to enter, closing the door in her face and telling her she wasn’t allowed to listen in. After an hour of trying on clothes and talking about Bella’s feelings regarding Rosalie, she was able to escape the room by telling her that she promised Jasper a round of chess, which she ended up winning after an intense silent hour. 

Edward never did not show up, and when she asked, Alice just said he needed time. Bella shrugged it off, slightly hoping that this wouldn’t cause a strain on my relationship with the rest of the coven. She had nothing against him, as long as he stopped trying to poke through her mind. She’s not expecting them to suddenly be best friends, especially since Alice apparently called dibs on her, but she also did not want there to be tension. So she just chose to ignore it for the time being.

Eventually, she had to announce that it was time for her to go as she had told Charlie she would not stay too late.

As she said goodbye to everyone, Rosalie hovered in the back, appearing unsure of herself. 

After her final goodbye, she headed towards her and offered her a smile, hoping to make her feel more comfortable. The taller girl returned it with a tight-lipped smile, but she could still detect hints of hesitation.

Bella offered her hand and she only took a second before taking a hold of it. She led her outside, yelling goodbye as they exited.

“Would you like to drop me off?”

Although she wore her stoic mask, her eyes belied that expression with glints of amusement. “What’s in it for me?”

“I guess someone doesn’t want their prize. Oh well. I guess I can always ask Alice or Emmett to drop me off.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“I mean if you truly don’t want to, then I have no choice,” Bella said with a shrug of shoulders. 

Rosalie huffed in faux annoyance. “Fine. I guess I have nothing better to do.” The small curl of her lips softened the rather harsh statement.

“Now you definitely do not get to drop me off.” She scoffed playfully. “Alice and Emmett would gladly accompany me, right guys?,” she asked, knowing that they were nosy enough to be listening in right now.

They both sped out of the house and were by their friend’s side in the blink of an eye. “We’re ready and reporting for duty, captain!,” Emmett said while goofily saluting his Bellie Bear.

Before she could respond, Rosalie snapped a sharp “No!” at them. Alice took a pouting Emmett toward the house, turning to wink at Bella, before they entered the house.

“I didn’t want to bother you. What if you find something better to do?” Bella tried to not look amused, but the twitching of her mouth probably gave her away. She never did have a good poker face, another outcome of living with Renee for so long.

Rosalie said nothing, but shook her head, in what she would like to think, affectionately. The reserved vampire rolled her eyes, but opened the garage door which revealed several expensive cars.

Before Bella could step in the garage to get a closer look, Rosalie blocked her way. “Don’t enter. Wait out here.” Rosalie’s voice lost its warmth and her face reverted back to being closed off.

It happened so quickly that if she were as dramatic as Alice, she’d complain of whiplash. Granted, Bella wasn’t expecting their dynamic to completely change from barely speaking to each other to completely being in love. If anything, the half-vamp was a realist. She expected there to be a steep learning curve and setbacks as they try to find their footing.

But Bella didn’t know what she did to cause the sudden shift in attitude. Or how to fix it

The low rumble of an engine interrupted and a bright red Ferrari backed out of the garage. The car stopped in front of her so she opened the passenger door to get in. As she settled onto the seat, a tense silence filled the compact space of the sports car. Rosalie didn’t cut the engine, nor did she begin the drive. Unsure of how to proceed, Bella opted for an attempt at humor.

“You do know, you’re just dropping me off at my house, right? Which is only a ten minute ride max.” She continued, hoping to relax the mood. “No need to impress me.”

However, the silence persisted and Rosalie remained stiff, resembling a greek statue. It couldn’t have been more than a minute, but it felt like it was never ending.

Finally, the statuesque blonde broke the silence by clearing her throat. “ I -” her voice caught in her throat. “I shouldn’t have snapped. No one enters the garage, except for me.”  
Bella absorbed this information like a sponge. While Rosalie's brush off had slightly stung, she understood the underlying apology in her words and it soothed away the tinge of hurt that had lingered.

She slowly reached over to grab Rosalie’s hand, giving her time to rebuff her touch, but to her delight, she made contact with cool porcelain skin.

“I’m not going to say it was okay, because I would be lying. But I understand.” She paused to allow her words to sink in. “I don’t expect for us to suddenly be loving and doe-eyed. Just. . . don’t shut me out, please? That’s all I ask."

“I can’t promise that I won’t, but I will try to communicate.”

The half-vamp smiled softly. “That’s all that I ask. And I will do the same.” She let the smile grow, happy that they came to a compromise. “Now that that’s settled, you should drive me home. Can’t start off on the wrong foot with Charlie.” Bella waggled her eyebrows in jest.

Rosalie scoffed. “You have spent too much time with Emmett.” Soon, they were pulling out of the clearing, still holding hands.

“Jealous?” Bella couldn’t help but smirk at the darkening of amber eyes and the squeeze of her hand. “Too soon?”

“No.” Though, the brunette only raised her eyebrow in response and noted Rosalie’s jaw clench. “Maybe.”

Deciding to spare the vampire from this topic, Bella moved on. She looked out the window of the speeding car. “How do you know where I live? Stalking me much, Miss Hale? Should I be worried?”

“You are incorrigible. Of course, I did not stalk you, don’t be ridiculous.”

“You didn’t answer the question, Miss Hale,” she teased in a sing-song tone.

Her nose flared in clear annoyance. “Alice told me. She tried to convince me to pick you up today.

Before she could respond, they arrived at her house, much to Bella’s chagrin; she was having too much fun.

She cut the engine when the Ferrari was right next to her beloved truck and created quite a hilarious dichotomy, if Rosalie’s face was anything to go by.

“Don’t say anything,” Bella playfully threatened.

Amber eyes narrowed. “You should do yourself a favor and let me replace your sad excuse of truck with one of the ones in my garage. I’ll even leave you this car right now, as long as you get rid of that monstrous thing.”

The younger vampire gasped in mock outrage. “Woah, that was way harsh. My truck runs perfectly fine! It may not be the prettiest, but it gets the job done.”

“Can I at least work on its engine and give it a paint job?” Rosalie’s eyes attained a tenacious gleam.

“It needs neither of those things.” Bella freed her hand and crossed her arms in defiance.

Her response only made the other girl snicker.“Every time you enter the parking lot, I can hear the sputtering of your engine. And every time I look at it, I wish I was blind.” Although Rosalie's words held some truth, Bella was too stubborn to relent. “If you admit that this truck is in desperate need of repairs, I will gladly do it,” she proposed with a smug smile.

“Nope. She is doing just fine. Thank you very much.”

“Ok, how about you let me fix her. And you don’t even have to say anything? Is that a better deal?”

Bella refused to budge, so she shook her head. “Nope.”

“Please? For my sake then? It would make me feel better if I knew you were driving a safe truck.”

“My truck is safe!,” she exclaimed.

“Please?,” Rosalie pleaded, making sure we’re making eye contact and uncrossed her arms to grab her hand.

“Fine,” Bella grumbled. “But I swear if I see a hint of smirk, I am calling this off.”

She rolled her amber eyes, but nonetheless nodded. She handed her the keys to the truck, though slightly hesitant as if it physically pained her. It had only been a month, but this truck was already invaluable to Bella.

“You better not touch the exterior of this car though. I don’t want a paint job.”

“Your car is basically rust! There is barely any red left!,” she cried out.

“Okay, and?”

“What do you mean ‘okay, and’? Why can’t I change it?,” she spluttered, looking at her mate as if she were crazy.

Bella shrugged her shoulders, not willing to admit defeat. “It gives her character,” she simply stated.

“Fine. And here's the keys to the Ferrari, so you have a car to use while I bring back your car from the dead. I’m only agreeing to not touching the exterior because I doubt I could get through that thick skull of yours. ” She retorted in slight frustration, but reluctantly moved on from the topic. “You never did give me my prize?”

“Wasn’t dropping me off a prize?”

Rosalie was unimpressed and merely regarded her in a cool manner.

“You’re no fun” Bella pouted and hopped out of her car quickly, and raced to the door of her house.

Rosalie used her vampire speed to block the entrance, an amusing glint in her eyes.

“Were you seriously going to try to get out of the deal?”

She playfully rubbed jr chin, pretending to think about it. “Maybe.”

“Well now you have to pay up.”

“Ok,” Bella simply stated. She hadn’t made the decision of what the prize would be up until a minute ago. So before she could change her mind and lose er courage, she leaned toward Rosalie, hovered over her lips for just a second before placing a faint kiss near the corner of her mouth, and slipped by the dumbfounded blonde to get inside the house without a word.


	12. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More time with the Cullens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It should start picking up next chapter so stay tune!

As much as Rosalie sneered at anything banal and cliche, she had been incapable of being just that last Friday night. She had been incapable of stopping her hand from hovering over the corner of her mouth, where her unpredictable mate surprised her with a kiss and lingering outside her home like an idiot.

It was embarrassing to say the least.

A week had passed since the kiss, and it continued to baffle Rosalie as to how quickly Bella could go from a tentative blushing human to a confident sarcastic vampire. Apparently Alice and Emmett had no qualms in practically kidnapping her mate after school, especially since Edward decided to stay with the Denali’s. 

He was still highly suspicious of Bella and Carlisle thought that it would do Edward some good if he had time to himself. Rosalie was pleased to not have him around for a while as she still held a grudge on his attack on the hybrid. It didn’t help that Bella just shrugged it off when Alice apologized for their brother’s actions.

If anything, the younger girl appeared more upset at being the center of the school’s gossip once again. The combination of driving a Ferrari and spending more time with the infamous Cullens had made her an irresistible topic of rumors.  
At first, it amused the blonde. 

Bella would grumble and mutter complains about the ‘stupid high school students’. However, Rosalie’s smirk had been erased when the speculations shifted to Bella’s relationship with them, specifically with Emmett.

Despite knowing that there were no romantic feelings between the two, Rosalie could not control the swell of possessiveness at every whisper hinting otherwise. It took all her focus to suppress her instincts that were roaring at her to keep Bella away from Emmett. It didn’t help that their interactions looked so effortless. Despite the progress made last Saturday, Rosalie still struggled to interact with her mate. It was mainly Bella doing the talking and her making an occasional comment. 

When they would arrive at their home, Alice would drag Bella to her room for “best friend time”. Then Emmett would rope her into playing video games with him and Jazz. To distract herself from the compulsion to be by the hybrid’s side, Rosalie would confine herself to her garage.

Rosalie Hale had never been clingy, and she refused to have that change.

Nevertheless, that did not stop the jolt of pleasure when Bella knocked on the garage door and demanded the vampire spend time with her. She had been thrown off by the brunette that she found herself putting down her tools and following the girl. The brunette’s gait had been confident, but it slowly tapered down as they reached her room. Bella hovered outside, looking unsure.

She remembered feeling her face soften at Bella’s concern in not crossing her boundaries. Rosalie motioned for her to enter. The blonde was waiting for awkwardness to fill the room, but to her surprise, Bella setted in a comfortable position on her bed and opened a book and began reading.

“We’re not going to talk?” Rosalie could not help but ask.

Looking up from her book, Bella responded. “If you want to. I don’t want to pressure you. I just wanted to spend time with you even if we just do our own thing.” With that, she began to read once again.

So, it became their thing. After Bella would spend time with the others, she would drag her out of the garage and into her room. Occasionally, they would make conversation, but Rosalie never felt the pressure to fill the silence.

Until today.

The vampire had been waiting all week for Bella to mention the kiss the entire week, but nothing. Granted, the kiss was merely a peck, yet she felt disgruntled at the hybrid’s nonchalance.

“So are you going to ask me something?” Bella set her book aside, and looked at her with an amused glint in her eyes.

“Why do you think I want to ask you something?” 

She raised her right eyebrow in disbelief. “Oh you know just a random guess. Not because you’ve been staring at me the past 5 minutes.

Before Rosalie could retort, the younger girl shoved her phone in her face. It was a snapchat video of her with eyebrows pinched in thought and openly looking in the direction of the camera. 

The blonde was at a loss for words, embarrassed at getting caught . It would be impossible to refute Bella’s statement with the video evidence she held in her hands.

Fortunately, a text notification saved her from replying. However, her embarrassment was forgotten and replaced with a familiar flicker of jealousy as she unintentionally got a glimpse of the message when returning the phone. “Cant wait 4 tmr. We gonna have fun -Jake”

Her mind failed to conjure up a picture of the human. She was certain that there was no Jake in the human group that Bella sat with during lunch. 

“Uhh. . . Rosalie? Is there a problem?”

Bella’s cautious voice drew her attention onto her death grip that was so close to cracking the cellphone screen. She immediately loosened her hold and tossed it toward its owner.  
She bit back a growl. “No”

Instead of assuaging Bella, her curt response merely awakened her curiosity. Rosalie internally cursed. If there was anything she learned about her mate in the past week, was her insatiable curiosity. Since she rarely initiated their conversations, Bella would take to asking her multiple questions with such an unreserved child-like eagerness that endeared her to the stoic girl. It also meant that she would not be satisfied with a vague answer.

“Come on. You can tell me anything!” She leaned over to poke her, giving her plenty of time to evade the attack.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, but did not move away from the prodding fingers. It was easier to accept her silly antics and play along, or so she told herself.

“So. . . are you going to tell me why the surly ‘no’. I’ll even disregard your staring and I won’t show Alice the snapchat video.” She was close to giving in and it seemed that Bella sensed that and pushed further. “You can just tell me or I could just guess all night.” The playful hybrid pouted.

It was becoming quite predictable how easily she started to give in to the brunette. 

“Who’s Jake?” 

Rosalie internally cursed, berating herself for sounding like a tactless idiot overwhelmed with jealousy.

Bella glanced at her phone’s screen and understanding reflected in those dark mahogany eyes of hers. “He’s just a friend I made last week at La Push. Jacob Black.”

Dread pushed away all sense of jealousy. “Black?” Her hands curled into tight fists as Bella confirmed with a slow nod. “I don’t think spending time with him is the best idea.”

“Why? And don’t say it's because it's ‘dangerous’” She stated with air quotes. “He’s not even a wolf, or at least not yet. Besides he seemed sweet. He apologized for their hostile attitude.”

“You interacted with the wolves! And they threatened you? Why didn’t you tell us?” Rosalie demanded, ignoring the hurt look that flashed across Bella’s face at the iciness of her voice.

“Oh I don’t know. Maybe because something else came up. Sorry that I completely forgot about it!” Bella angrily stood up from the bed and created more distance between the two.  
She clenched her teeth so tightly that she felt her jaw in creaking protest. “That does not matter!”

“It doesn’t matter?” The pain in her mate’s voice with the addition of the sheen of the unshed tears building up in her eyes drained all of Rosalie’s anger.

The blonde reached out for her, but hesitated in grabbing hold of her. “That’s not what I meant. I -” she paused to collect herself “ Just. . . the thought of those mutts harming you is abhorrent.” She made direct eye contact, refusing to acknowledge the simmering guilt that bubbled underneath her skin.

“As far as they know, I’m a human. They smelled Alice and Emmett on me.” She ignored her quiet growl and continued. “So they warned me to stay away from your family. But I obviously dismissed that without a thought.”

“Can you at least see where I am coming from? Why I think it is not safe for you to be near any of them? Can’t you simply trust me. . . please?”

It was relieving to see a shift in Bella’s demeanor, even if it was microscopic. “Yes.” She felt the guilt slowly ebb away. “But can’t you trust me? I can take care of myself, not that I would need to since Jake is harmless.”

“You’re not the one I don’t trust. Paul has always been too eager to start something ever since he shifted. He’s only gotten bolder with his pack growing, constantly testing the boundaries. I just don’t want you to get caught in the middle of his foolish quest to make us instigate a fight.”

Rosalie relaxed after watching Bella’s eyebrows furrow in thought and her body losing its combative stance. “I understand your wariness, but it would be unfair to Jake. He hasn’t done anything, he doesn’t even think vampires and ‘werewolves’ are real. However, if it makes any difference, we are not hanging out in La Push.”

By the unwavering steel in her voice, Rose knew that there was not anything she could say that would alter her decision. She crossed her arms as she was still miffed about the entire situation. “Fine.”

She stood up and headed for her balcony without another word. Rosalie knew she was acting petty, but she needed a distraction to burn off any lingering frustration so hunting seemed like the best choice.

As she was about to jump off, a tentative grip on her forearm stopped her. “We’re okay, right?” 

Despite her displeasure with Bella’s decision, she was not angry with her. Was it frustrating? Yes. But Rosalie secretly admired her backbone, pleased that her mate wasn’t a pushover.

She offered a small smile. “Yes, we’re okay.”

“Then why were you about to leave without a word?” Bella’s face was one of neutrality, but there was still a tinge of accusation in her voice.

The blonde cleared her throat. “I’m not angry at you, but I am . . . discontent with your decision. I thought it would be productive to go hunting, not only will I satisfy my hunger but as well as expelling my frustrations.”

“Great! Let’s go!”

“Go?”

“Yeah! The others were planning on taking me hunting today, I’ve been wanting to try this new diet.”

She couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at her enthusiasm. “Why do you want to try animal blood? Not only is it bland, but Carlisle has supplied you with blood bags.”

The hybrid shrugged her shoulders. “Why not? It’d be interesting just to try.” Her tone suggested that Rosalie was odd for suggesting otherwise.

Releasing a sigh of defeat and rolling her eyes, she nodded. “Fine. I’m assuming you’re inviting the others?”

“I promised Emmett that he could be the one to ‘teach’ me.”

“What is there to teach? You just snap their neck and drain them.”

Once again she shrugged. “He wants to teach me how to properly wrestle a grizzly bear, insisting that I must call him sensei during the lesson.”

“Of course. And I highly recommend you not wrestle a grizzly.” 

Bella narrowed her eyes at my suggestion. “Why? Too dangerous?,” she challenged.

“No. Even though we hunt animals, I prefer those that have a greater population. Washington has a small number of grizzlies and I would like to not be responsible for dropping their numbers.” Seeing the brunette’s eyebrows slacken and her face redden in shame, Rosalie reached out to hold her hand. “Come on, let’s go gather the others.”

She assumed the younger girl would drop her hand in favor of darting downstairs to tell the others. Instead, she was dragged to the living room, Esme in a silent chess match with Jasper and Alice heckling Emmett as he rapidly smashed buttons on the controller.  
They stopped directly in front of the television which caused Emmett to start cursing. “Bellie-bear! Move! I’m about to beat the boss!” As soon as the last word left his lips, the controller shattered across the floor.”

“Not again.” Esme’s voice was equal parts amused and chagrined, a tone only a mother could achieve.

“Bellaaaaa!,” The overdramatic oaf bellowed. “I was so close! Now I have to carry Alice’s bags next time she goes shopping.”

Bella did not respond to his whining, rather she just bowed at a 20 degree angle. “It is time Sensei.”

Everyone was confused, except for Emmett who had a devilish smile on his face. He pumped his air in excitement. “Onwards my young student. Lead the way.”

“Where are we going?” Alice asked, completely at a loss. It was rare to see her so confused and it was providing amusement for the blonde despite her own bafflement at their strange behavior. 

Rosalie should really be accustomed to their antics by now, especially knowing Emmett for several years now. However, his child-like nature only seemed to be spurred on by her mate.

Both Bella and Emmett huffed. “Isn't it obvious, Alice? It is time for me to teach Bellie-bear how to hunt!” 

Before the two dorks could get ahead of themselves, Esme interrupted their exit. “Clean up the mess first, Emmett. Then you can go take Bella on her first animal hunt.” She paused at his quiet grumbling. “In human speed.” 

Emmett knew better than to continue complaining so he sulked towards the supply closet to grab the broom. The rest of the group idly watched Emmett, pointing out every time a piece that eluded his sweeps. After receiving a nod of approval from Esme, they headed out towards the forest.

“To the Grizzly Den!”

“Umm, actually sensei, I think I’ll stick to deer and elk.”

“Aww,” he cooed. “Is little Bellie-bear scared?” 

Rosalie growled. “She prefers to care about the animal populations. However, if you want to go wrestle with a bear while the rest of us hunt with Bella, then by all means.”

He crossed his arms and pouted, but relented. “Fine.” Emmett turned around and started to walk backwards, directing his attention towards Bella. “Not only did you fall for a vegetarian vampire, but a vegan one at that.”

Bella tugged their hands, pulling closer to her side. “I’m not complaining,” she said with a cheeky smile and a wink in her directions, before sticking her tongue out at Emmett. “Sp what’s the plan?”

“Since we are not looking for dens, I guess we can make it a competition to make things interesting. Whoever drains their deer first, wins.” 

Alice’s face lit up with excitement at the prospect of a bet. “What does the winner get?”

“Victor decides an activity that the entire group has to participate in. We’ll cap the activity at 3 hours.” 

She approved of the hybrid’s insight of placing a time limit. Knowing Alice and Emmett, they would have made their activity last the entire day.

They eventually stopped a few miles south of a herd of five deer. “Okay so in the count of three, we begin. Anyone who starts earlier is automatically disqualified. Remember that fawns don’t count, so if there’s not enough deer, tough luck. Pushing and shoving is allowed, but no serious fighting.”

The terms were fairly reasonable so everyone agreed and readied their stances. 

Bella squeezed her hand before releasing it. “Good luck.” 

The second Emmett’s alarm sounded, everyone launched forward, destroying the ground beneath them. Rosalie was grateful that it wasn’t currently raining or she would have reconsidered participating. She was going to need new tennis shoes after today.  
Bella was ahead of the group with Emmett on her heels while she remained even with Jasper and Alice. However, the brunette suddenly slowed which caused Emmett to lose his footing and crash into a tree. “Sorry Sensei!”

Alice’s giggling and Jasper’s deep chuckles echoed throughout the woods. Though she found it more amusing that they altered their position spreading farther away from her mate.

It did not take long for them to reach the herd. Bella zeroed in on the smallest deer that wasn’t a fawn. Smart. It would be less blood to drain. 

Rosalie pushed herself to reach the only one of the remaining two adult deer, seeing that her and Alice chose the same animal. Emmett and Jasper chased the other.

Just as she hedged out Alice and snapped the neck of the deer, Bella celebrated. “I win! You guys are los-”. She did not get to finish her sentence. The brown-eyed girl fell to her knees, clutching her abdomen and groaning in pain. 

Without a second thought Rosalie dropped her deer and rushed to her side, unconcerned about the mud staining her pants. “Bella? What’s wrong?”

She frantically searched for the cause of her mate’s pain, panicking more and more when she could not find a reason. She issued a warning growl to the others when they stepped to close for her comfort. Her mate was in distress and her protective instincts were flaring up in response.

“Go get Carlisle and Esme,” she roared at the frozen vampires.

Bella’s face showed signs of pallor and her body began to tremble. It seemed as if she was holding something back. Rosalie’s hand started to rub soft circles on her lower back. “Let it out, honey. Just let it out.”

It appeared to be what the hybrid needed because she instantly began vomiting up blood. She didn’t stop her rubbing. After a few minutes, Bella started to dry heave and eventually stopped altogether. 

Her body slumped onto the amber-eyed blonde. Rosalie settled her into a more comfortable position, placing her in between her arms. She wrapped her left arm around her weakened mate’s waist and moved her chestnut locks away from Bella’s face. She hummed a lullaby that she remembers singing to her younger brothers once upon a time, pausing every now and then to leave a soft kiss on her forehead.

“Rose?” Carlisle’s calm voice breached into her internal worry. She turned with a snarl on her face at sensing his presence cross into her space. He slowly approached with his hands displayed in front of her. “I’m just here to help. Don’t you want to make sure Bella is okay? Let me check on her, please.”

After suppressing her instincts, she gave a stiff nod. He reached towards Esme, who immediately handed him his bag. The doctor quickly, but thoroughly examined her mate while she laid against Rosalie. While she allowed Carlisle to check on her mate, she refused to remove from her side unless it was absolutely necessary.

He placed his tools back into the bag with a neutral expression that made her want to throttle him. “She should be fine. Her vitals and her body seem normal. I believe that her body rejected the animal blood. My only theory would be that her own blood can’t mix with the animal blood, though we can’t know for sure.”

Rosalie’s body instantaneously flooded with relief. She placed a kiss on Bella’s neck, reassuring herself that everything was going to be okay.

“We should carry her home and let her rest. We’ll give her a blood bag, hopefully it’ll speed up her recovery.”

Without another word, the blonde carefully lifted Bella and carried her back to her room. She reverently placed her onto the middle of her bed and covered her with several blankets.  
Her eyes fluttered open to reveal dazed chocolate eyes. “So did I win?” Her voice cracked which prompted Rosalie to immediately hand her a blood bag with a straw in it.

“Only you would act as if nothing happened. You scared all of us.”

With just a few sips of the blood bag, some color returned to Bella’s skin. “I’m okay. Nothing serious happened. And it’s no one’s fault.” She shuffled onto the left side of the bed and patted the newly created space. “Stop worrying and come over here. Cuddling will make me feel better.”

Deciding not to argue further, Rosalie only shook her head and settled onto her mate’s side. If it would make her feel better, who was she to deny her that.


	13. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bella's day with Jake! Well... Kinda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I survived midterms, service learning, and my first clinical!! It has been an extremely busy few weeks, but now I can take a small breath. I made this chapter slightly longer as a tiny apology. Hopefully I can write more this weekend. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 12: Bella

Bella woke up feeling refreshed that she was almost able to forget that she hurled her guts. She had been too busy dying, at least that’s how it felt at the moment, to feel humiliated but now there was nothing to stop the embarrassment.

“Do you normally think so intensely at two in the morning? I thought teenagers love to sleep?” Rosalie’s teasing broke through the brunette’s thoughts, the huskiness of her voice provoking a shiver to run down her spine and her blood to rush to her face. However, she did briefly note the cautiousness in her tone.

The hybrid had been so focused on yesterday’s events that she failed to notice her surroundings. She wasn’t lying alone on her full size bed, that creaked at any tiny movement, enveloped in her blue comforter in the room she had been calling home for the past few months. Instead, Bella laid in a lavish king sized bed covered with, what she was sure were, 1,000 thread count sheets and a pile of blankets that even Bed Bath and Beyond would envy. 

She wasn’t even wearing her own clothes, which made sense since her own were most likely covered in blood. Instead, she wore a soft cotton hoodie with black leggings. Not able to help herself, she burrowed her nose inside the sweater and took a deep breath. Honey and lilac.

However, the most surprising was Rosalie’s presence and the fact that Bella was currently cuddled into the blonde’s side. Her face was tucked into Rosalie’s neck, her left arm and leg thrown over her body, essentially trapping her mate beneath her. How did she not notice until now?

She felt the blonde’s body stiffen underneath her, immediately followed by the vampire beginning to shuffle away from her. 

Bella cursed under her breath, she always seemed to lose focus at the worst of times. One of the many things she learned about her stoic mate was how quickly her moods shifted, especially if it took the brunette too long to respond.

Before she could completely shift away, Bella clenched her arms and legs around Rosalie. She dug her face deeper into the neck of the wriggling girl. “No.” Her grip didn’t loosen until she felt the body relax and felt a hand tentatively combing through her hair. A few minutes passed before she spoke again. “To answer your question, while teenagers do love sleep, you and I are not regular teenagers.”

The soothing hand abandoned its repetitive motions to slowly trail down her neck to eventually cup her face and gently tug her out of the crook of her neck. She didn’t even bother to disguise the grumbles of protest at losing the comfort and warmth, ignoring the quiet chuckles that echoed in the dark. 

With a final huff, Bella gave into the insistent touch and moved her head. She opened her eyes to find dark amber eyes bordering on black that, at first glance, had an amused spark, but a shadow of worry lingered. The darkened circles underneath those eyes, only emphasized how troubled the blonde appeared. “What’s wrong? I know vampires don’t sleep but I would have thought laying in bed would be relaxing?”

It was quite concerning to see such a state, she wasn’t even trying to hide her emotions away from her.

Even disheveled, well disheveled for the blonde vampire, she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow with her usual poise. “I sincerely hope you are not asking me that.”

A sharp sting followed by the taste of copper startled Bella. She didn’t realize how hard she bit her tongue in an attempt to stop a sarcastic reply from leaving her mouth, knowing that it would only cause Rosalie to shut down. Though the flair of the other girl’s nostrils and the darkening of her expression didn’t seem to bode well either.

“First you act like nothing happened, as if you did not faint in my arms? And now, you manage to make yourself bleed?”

“I’m clearly fine now!” She protested in defiance. “If anything, you’re the one that looks like hell.”

If possible, Rosalie looked even more furious than before. “Maybe if my mate hadn’t collapsed in my arms in the middle of the woods, not knowing what was going to happen to her, I would look better.” With each word, Bella found herself unable to look at her face, at the hurt and the anguish breaking through the cracks of her anger. “I couldn’t leave your side for fear of something happening to you. So I’m sorry that I look like hell.”

The crack of her mate’s usual controlled voice completely extinguished the fire from her, all hints of her stubborn nature gone. 

“I’m sorry.” She pressed a quick kiss to where the vampire’s pulse should’ve been. “I promise you I feel fine.’

And it was the truth. If anything she felt much more refreshed and relaxed than ever before, and there was no point in denying that it was all due to the change of sleeping arrangements. Bella would have been more embarrassed about waking up basically on top of Rosalie, but the other girl didn’t seem to mind. 

“Let me get Carlisle so he can make sure everything is okay.” Once again Bella flung her entire body weight onto the blonde, so that it would be impossible for her to leave. “Bella. Let me go. Stop acting like a child."

“I’ll only let go if you go hunt while he does his assessment. And don’t lie about not being thirsty, your eyes say it all.”

After a minute of struggling, Rosalie huffed. “Fine. But you have to stay with Carlisle until I come back.” 

The resolve in her voice told her everything she needed to know. There was no room for discussion in the matter, so she grudgingly accepted the condition.

With that, Rosalie slid out of bed and picked up Bella in a bridal-style carry. “I can walk, you know.”

“Humor me? Please?” 

Bella was helpless to her request and didn’t make further objections as they made their way to Carlisle’s office. Rosalie was walking with the utmost caution, searching her face for any discomfort which she found both adorable and ridiculous. Eventually, they arrived at the end of the hall and heard the muffled voices of Alice and Emmett coming from behind the large oak door. 

It wasn’t until that moment that Bella realized that the entire household had been unnaturally quiet. 

“Did you threaten Alice and Emmett to stay away?” She honestly found this to be hilarious, but teasing her started to become second nature and impossible to resist.

She was becoming an expert at deciphering the smallest changes of Rosalie’s face. It was like solving a puzzle and it was so rewarding to correctly identify her expressions. 

The slight flicker of her eyes to the left and the quick tightening of her mouth was easy. Guilt. “You needed rest and they were just incessantly hovering.

“You’re lucky you’re cute and that I like you.” 

She only rolled her eyes in response before the door slammed open and she was swooped out her slim arms and into bulky, muscular ones. “Bellie bear!” It wasn’t even a second later when a high-pitched squeal blew out her eardrum.

“Rosalie didn’t let us see you and used dirty tactics to make sure we ‘behaved’.” Emmett nodded heartily along to Alice’s words.

The vampire in question scoffed, a deadly glare set upon them. “The only reason I’m allowing this is because I know Bella won’t forgive me if I hurt you two.”

Carlisle stepped in. “Emmett? If you can place Bella in my chair that would be very helpful.”

“Wait” She wiggled her way out of his grasp and walked back to Rosalie. “We have a deal, so before Carlisle starts, you have to go.”

Rosalie clenched her jaw, but stayed quiet and sharply turned towards the exit. Just as she crossed the threshold, Bella followed her, closed the door behind them and spun her around. 

Bella only quirked her eyebrow at her confused expression before wrapping an arm around her neck and pulling her in for a kiss. She swiped her tongue against her lips, begging for entrance and was granted access immediately. The entire house could have collapsed and she wouldn’t have noticed, too engrossed in chasing her mate’s lips. She reluctantly pulled away, but was not able to resist nipping Rose’s bottom lip.

“Hurry back,” she whispered into her ear before finally stepping away and going back into Carlisle’s office, leaving the blonde in a silent stupor.

\------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“So there is nothing I can do to change your mind?”

They were sitting in her borrowed Ferrari in her driveway. Charlie’s police car was gone. She was able to convince him to go to work in her earlier phone call. 

She shook her head at Rosalie’s question. “No. Carlisle said I was perfectly fine. And Jake is completely harmless.”

Bella felt like a broken record. She had repeated the same sentiment to Rosalie since she returned from her hunt. She kinda had been hoping for a repeat performance of their earlier moment, but she had made the mistake of mentioning that her plans remained unchanged. She even chose to call her frantic and distressed parents in hopes that the vampire would take the time to calm down. 

However, once she managed to quell their concerns, which took over an hour, the blonde was still fuming though instead of arguing, she silently sat with her arms crossed on the single sofa of the living room. Not knowing what to do with her steaming mate, she awkwardly floundered for a minute before deciding to join Emmett in his video games. She immediately realized it was the wrong decision, because as soon as she claimed a controller, Rosalie left the room without a single word.

After delivering a swift whack to Emmett’s head in retaliation for his snickering, she chased after the vampire. Not that it did anything, since they spent the rest of the morning on the opposite sides of her room without any words.

It was frustrating, but Bella couldn’t say that Rosalie’s opinion was unwarranted. So she grabbed her book she had left on the bedside table and settled on the bed to read like she has done for the past week. From the corner of her eye, she occasionally peeked at the silent girl who studied the large bookcase that encompassed an entire wall, more specifically the section with tattered and worn spines that were so unlike the rest of the pristine conditioned books. 

She hadn’t realized that Rosalie created a space for her books, didn’t even notice that her novels were no longer in her possession. A warm feeling of contentment and awe radiated across her body.

That same feeling of warmth still resided in her heart as she focused back onto the conversation. “Rose,” She reached for her hand, uncrossing the blonde’s arms in the process. “I know you don’t trust Jake, but trust me. I know I’m stubborn, but if I need help, you will be the first I call.” 

After a moment of deliberation, she squeezed her hand and nodded. “Ok. You promise to call if anything happens?”

“Yes.” The tension in the car had eased, but not enough for Bella so she spoke once again. “Although, you’re going to be the one who explains to my parents why you’ve usurped their positions on my priority call list.” 

She knew sometimes she could be a fool, but the simple shake of her head or the fond roll of amber eyes or the tiniest twitch of her upper lip, made it worth it every single time. 

“They probably already hate me. My first words to Charlie were explaining why his daughter didn’t return home at the time she said she would.”

“You had it easy. Charlie is the most laid-back, so that was nothing. Good luck with Pierre and Renee.”

A loud rumbling notified them of her guest. 

“I can see why your engine is dying,” Rosalie muttered under her breath.

She squeezed her hand. “But now you have a project to work on. Also don’t think I didn’t notice that you’ve been stalling.” 

“Me? Stalling on your monster on wheels? Never.” If she didn’t know the vampire, her face would’ve been the perfect picture of innocence, but the cheeky gleam in her eye gave her away.

She unenthusiastically pulled her hand away and rolled out the car, followed by a grumbling Rose.

“Bella!” 

The hybrid had to do a double take to ensure that her eyes weren’t fooling her. Jake wasn’t small by any means, but he seemed to grow several inches and gained muscles if his sleeveless shirt was anything to go by. Her nose was also having a hard time adjusting to his new musky scent. It wasn’t disgusting, however it was overpowering.

He must be close to shifting. His stance stiffened once he got closer, his nostrils flaring.  
“Jake! What have you been eating? You’re a giant now!” She leaned for a side hug, ignoring the clear distaste on Rose’s face. He felt like a furnace, her entire side felt like she was burning so she stepped away. “This is Rosalie.”

He reached for a handshake, but paused midway at seeing her mate’s glare and settled for an awkward wave. “Hey. You’re a Cullen, right?” 

His movements were rigid and it would’ve concerned Bella, but he seemed confused about his behavior. It seemed like he was having a battle with himself.

“Hale.” There was a slight bite to it, so Bella had no choice but to elbow the vampire. Though by Jake’s soft chuckle, she wasn’t as subtle as she thought she was, but it did get the message across so she couldn’t complain. “But yes, the Cullens adopted me.”

Her smile was more of a grimace, but better than she expected from her.

“Well it’s nice meeting you. Is that your car?” He nodded towards the Ferrari, his voice quivering slightly. “It’s such a beautiful ride. F430?”

She nodded stiffly. “Yes to both questions. But, Bella here is borrowing it while I fix up her truck.”

He managed to calm down, enough to sheepishly scratch the back of his head. “Yeah, I didn’t have all the proper parts to fix it as much as I wanted to. I’m glad you’re fixing it up for Bells here.”

Another stiff nod. “Well I should head out.” Rosalie kissed her cheek and lingered near her ear for a second. “Please be careful,” she whispered, glaring at him before leaving.

As soon as she was out of earshot, human earshot that is, Jake gave her a bewildered look and spoke. “That went well. . . I think.” His body relaxed, but still held some tension.

“Don’t worry about Rose. It takes time for her to warm up to new people. So are you ready?” 

When she turned to face him, his eyebrows were pinched in pain and sweat beads began to gather on his forehead.

“Jake? Are you okay?”

He slowly raised his arm in an attempt to wave her concerns off, though it did little to relieve her worry. “I’m fine. I was sick earlier in the week, but thought I got over it yesterday. I felt f -”

Suddenly he bent over his knees, his breathing coming out in gasps and his body began to tremble. She stretched her arm to provide some support and got as far as getting under his right arm. She quickly led him to the back of her house, near the edge of the forest because if her instincts were correct, then it would be best to remove him from her neighbor's view. Everything was going as best as it could, but then he rested his head on her hoodie. She felt a ragged breath against her neck and the trembling worsened. He pushed her away roughly, managing to shove her several feet away.

Just as she was about to step toward, an animalistic growl erupted and silenced the normal buzz of nature. In an instant, Jake was gone and in his place stood a horse-sized russet colored wolf.

Rosalie was not going to be happy about this development.

She slowed her breathing and calmed her beating heart to a steady rhythm, loosening every muscle in her body. The wolf stalked closer to the point where he was an arm’s length away.

He bared his teeth, saliva dripping at the corner of his mouth. There was no recognition in his eyes and the growling grew louder and louder.

Just as she thought that she had no option but to run away, howls pierced through the forest. It was enough to distract Jake, his ears perking towards the edge of the words as he searched for the creatures responsible for the thunderous slams of paws against the ground. Soon three wolves circled around her, closing off Jake’s path to her.

The large black wolf, whom she assumed to be Sam as he took the lead position, pushed forward. It was a series of snarls and snaps until Sam knocked Jake over and forced him to submit. The dark silver and the light gray wolves stepped forward and herded the now subdued Jake away, into the forest until they were gone from her sight.

Bella had been too busy with watching the smaller wolves leave that she failed to notice Sam creep behind her. 

He took a deep inhale a foot away from her. She truly wished that people would stop sniffing her, it was getting really old. This time, she was prepared for the reaction and didn’t flinch when the wolf bared his teeth right in front of her face.

“I know it’s you Sam.” 

She had no choice but to give her knowledge away. Her reaction, or lack of reaction, to the giant wolves in her backyard already spoke volumes, so she thought it would be best to try and control what little she could.

He dashed to a large tree and returned in his human form. His anger and suspicion written plainly on his face.

“The Cullens told you! That is a clear violation of our treaty!” Despite the rage in his voice, there was a hint of glee at the thought of the Cullens breaking the treaty.

Rose’s earlier words rang in her head, warning bells going off. He wanted them to break the treaty. He wanted a fight.

Bella had to think quickly or everything would fall apart now, hopefully her acting skills were up to the challenge. 

“The Cullens? Treaty?” She contorted her face into one of innocence and confusion. “What are you talking about?”

His eyes narrowed. “Then how did you know? You reek of them. Clearly you disregarded my warning of staying away from them.”

“Last week on the beach, Jake told me about your tribe’s history and . . . wolves were mentioned. I just made the connection, as crazy as it sounded, it was the only explanation that my mind could come up with.”

“And of the Cullens?” Although it was a question, it was clearly a demand.

She needed this plan to work or Rosalie would definitely kill her. “I still don’t understand why you keep bringing them up.” Bella began tapping her thigh, trying to speed dial her mate. “They’re my friends, Sam, so I hang out with them. That’s all."

The hybrid hoped that the wolf’s hearing wasn’t very sensitive in human form. She didn’t want him to hear the ringing, nor Rose’s frantic voice begging her to answer.

“I don’t believe you. You’re wearing their clothes and driving their car. You’re too close to them to not know.”

He lunged towards her, but her vampire instincts took over and removed her from harm’s way. Shit. Having no choice, Bella ran towards Cullen's home with a wolf right behind her, hoping that Rosalie was heading her direction already.

If she survived this wolf encounter, she was not looking forward to her mate’s ‘I told you so’ face. And she was definitely not going to get a make out session any time soon.


	14. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little more build up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for those sticking it out with me. Online school has been something else. Break seems so close yet so far.

Rosalie:

She was going to kill those mutts.

She had been laying across room settee in her room, midway through Bella’s frayed copy of Pride and Prejudice when her mate’s name flashed across her phone screen.  
Rosalie had read the book before, and even had one of the original copies on her bookshelf, but she enjoyed the hybrid’s annotations written in her messy scrawls. At first, the blonde was annoyed by the scattered books across her room; she despised messiness. But when she went to collect the novels to return them to the brunette, inky scribbles caught her eye in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. After reading the first page, she cleared out a bookshelf for her to keep the novels in her possession, inwardly keen to see Bella’s thought process. 

Leaving Bella behind with the smelly teen had taken all her restraint, and the boy’s heart eyes for her mate did not help the case. So when her phone began to ring the moment she started to fully relax, it filled her entire body with dread.  
Her hand clenched so tightly around her phone, the only thing stopping her from completely mangling it was that it was her only line of communication to Bella. Not that it was helpful, it did nothing to calm her nerves, since all she could hear were muffled noises. Carlisle ordered her to stay at the house with Esme, and went with the others to search for Bella.

The only knowledge she possessed was that she had last been with Sam and the ambiguous sounds of running. Did not know where Jake was, why Sam was there, or anything beyond the clear anger in the stupid wolf leader’s voice. 

Almost as if the world decided to take pity on her, Bella’s voice broke the silent tension. “Rose?”

“Bella? I’m right here, what happened?”

“So your presence and your scent triggered Jake’s shift, the pack came to help. Then Sam caught your scent on me, got suspicious and started throwing accusations, so I tried to play it off, but he didn’t buy it. He lunged for me, but before he could do anything I started to run. So I’ve been running from a giant ass wolf, but I think I crossed the border because he stopped and looped back.” In Bella’s slight pause, Rosalie released a deep breath she did not know she was holding. “But I don’t think I’ve been around this area, so it might take a bit before I get your house.”

“The others are searching through the forest, so you should one into one of th-” Bella’s sudden gasp pierced her heart and multiplied her panic tenfold. “Bella?! Are you okay?”

“EMMIE BEAR! You found me!” 

She was going to kill Bella. First the wolves and then her mate.

“Sorry about that. Emmett found me and is currently giving me a piggyback ride back to the house, something about you killing him if I returned harm?” 

“He isn’t wrong. Just get back safely. We’ll talk later.”

Light footsteps pattered behind her, breaking the suffocating silence of the living room. “She’s okay?” 

Esme’s heart-shaped face immediately softened in relief once I nodded in affirmation. 

“She’s with Emmett. I just sent everyone a text so we can regroup and make a plan.”  
Her surrogate mother’s eyebrows pinched in concern once again. “I hope we can resolve this easily.”

Rosalie was unable to contain her scoff at her hopeful tone. “You and I both know a peaceful resolution is out of the question. Sam has been looking for a reason for a fight. The only thing that was holding him back was the tribal council and his limited numbers. But his numbers are growing given by Jacob’s transformation and I doubt it would take much to convince the others. It’s everything he’s been wanting.”

Before Esme could respond, loud boisterous chuckles intermingled with a softer, tinkling laughter cut the tension brewing in her body. Bella was on top of Emmett’s shoulders, covering his eyes and urging him forward, without a care in the world like she was not just chased by an angry wolf. 

She wanted to be angry at her carefree attitude, her mate was safe. And that is all that mattered to her.

So she did not care to hide her relief and rushed to Bella without a second thought. She needed to hold her and reassure herself that everything was truly okay, and it seemed that the younger girl sensed her silent request because she jumped into her arms without a word.

Rosalie wrapped her arms around her waist, holding her tight against her body with no space in between. She lowered her head, tucking it onto the crook of her neck. The combination of breathing in her scent and honing in on the steady beat of her heart soothed the remaining traces of anxiety. 

“Awww how cute!” Alice’s squeal cut the moment short, making her aware of all the new vampires in the room and all the set of eyes on them ranging from amused to adoring; the latter were Carlisle and Esme. 

She released her tight hold on her mate, but moved her arm around her waist to keep Bella from moving too far. The contact was grounding for Rosalie and made the entire wolf situation slightly easier to handle.

“Soo. . . Any chance I didn’t cause a war?”

She noted the slight waver in her voice, covering her guilt with an attempt at humor.  
It was also obvious to Rosalie that Bella’s shift in conversation had more to do with removing the attention off of them than actually worrying about the Quileute's. The blush creeping up her neck and her inability to make eye contact gave her away.  
Emmett’s eyes lit up with glee at the prospect of a fight. “Way to go Bellie Bear! I knew you were my best friend for a reason.” He sidled to the brunette's side and offered her a fist bump, one that Bella didn’t return. Though it didn’t deter his enthusiasm as he fist bumped himself.

Carlisle cleared his throat. “You didn’t start anything, Bella. Ever since he shifted, he’s never hid his intentions. He only got bolder once others started to shift.”

His reassurances did nothing to rid of the guilty expression on Bella’s face, so she tugged her towards the armchair. To her surprise, she pushed her onto the sofa and climbed onto her lap, wrapping Rosalie’s arms around her waist. Only her mate would be shy about getting caught in an embrace and then moments later initiate a more intimate position.

“Surely they won’t attack. Sam must know they’re outnumbered and inexperienced.” Of course Esme would be concerned for those mutts.

Bella shifted on her lap. “I think they’re numbers might be growing aside from Jake. One for sure. He mentioned that his friend, Quil, had been acting off and started to hang with Sam.”

“But surely he must know that it would only be a suicide mission since they’ve never fought a vampire, much less a coven,” Jasper chimed in.

Rosalie rolled her eyes at his statement. “He’s overconfident. He was willing to fight with just two other wolves, now he has five and maybe more.”

“I believe we should try to resolve this without fighting first, see if he’s willing to talk. Violence should be our last resort.” He directed the comment towards Emmett, wiping the dimples off his face as his mouth settled into a pout. “It’s why I called Edward to come as soon as possible.”

She wanted to be angry, and for a brief second, she was. Her grip tightened imperceptibly, but enough for Bella to grab her right hand and began playing with her fingers. It silenced her anger enough for her to grudgingly recognized the need for Edward if they were going to deal with the pack.

“Fine, but if he steps out of line, I will not hesitate to feed him to the stupid mutts.”

“Rosalie,” Esme chided and casted a disapproving look her way.

Emmett chuckled. “I mean she has a right. Edward can be a dick sometimes.”

“He’s not wrong.” Alice agreed with a slight snicker. Esme shook her head, but Rosalie could see the corners of her mouth curling and if Bella’s smile was any indication, she did too.

“If I was Sam, I would wait at least a week before attackin’. He’s got 2 new wolves to deal with, that should give us enough time to prepare.” It was clear to her, that Jaspar had already started planning any and all strategies. The former general returning back to his origin.

Bella unceremoniously threw herself back against her, throwing her entire body weight on Rosalie and groaning right next to her ear.  
“What now?,” she asked in an amusing tone.

“I have to call Pierre and Renee. And speak to Charlie, explaining everything. They’re never going to let me live this down.” She groaned again. “Pierre is definitely going to come now.”

“I hate to say this, but wouldn’t it just be easier to move away if we can’t come to a peaceful resolution?” It was clear to see that this idea brought Esme discomfort in addressing it.

Carlisle ignored every other vampire’s growl, eyeing Rosalie’s sudden grasp of Bella. “Possibly. I don’t want to harm them, since they’re all so young. Some of them probably don’t want to even fight us.”

“I’m not leaving Bella.” Alice, Emmett, and Jasper nodded in support. 

Esme hesitantly intervened. “Maybe Bella could follow along? Or maybe after she graduates? And we all could visit her in Port Angeles.” Bella started to shift in her lap again and instead of the calm touches she had been giving her hand, she began tapping her thigh. “I mean, this is obviously only in the case we aren’t able to convince-”  
Rosalie felt every single nerve in her body spark with uncontrollable rage, overriding any other emotion or thought. How dare they assume that I would willingly agree to be separated from Bella. 

It was unfathomable.

“I am going to pretend you did not just imply that I abandon my mate. Sam was going to hurt MY mate, And I WILL NOT leave her in the same territory as his stupid pack. Do you really think he’s just going to let everything go?”

Normally, she would be alarmed at the manner in which she was speaking to Esme and Carlisle, but she was not about to stand back while they make plans involving leaving Bella. She ignored Esme’s stricken face and the displeased look Carlisle directed at her.  
“And I’m not leaving Charlie. The whole reason for me coming to Fork was to spend time with him and I don’t want him to leave his home again. He left it to help Renee with me when I was younger.” It hurt to hear her words, but Rosalie could not blame the hybrid.  
Alice stepped toward the armchair, laying a hand on her shoulder. “I agree with Rose, leaving Bella is not an option. She’s a part of our family. Asking a vampire to leave their mate is an inconceivable idea.” Alice’s voice had a bite to it that was so unusual for her. “I think we should wait until Edward arrives to better access Sam’s thinking. For the mean time Bella should update her parents.” She paused. “Jasper?”

“We should set up rotations to protect Charlie, just to be safe. I suggest we also hunt farther up since we don’t know whether Sam would cross the boundaries. I’ll think ‘bout strategies for worst case scenarios.”

Carlisle nodded. “We’ll talk more once Edward arrives, as Alice stated. I’ll be in my office and call the Denali’s in case we need their help.”  
Esme made to follow him, but hesitated. She turned towards her and Bella. “I’m sorry about earlier. It was insensitive of me to suggest that. I just don’t want to hurt the young boys in Sam’s pack.” 

The venom pooling in her eyes, tears that will never fall, softened Rosalie’s heart. Of course she was worried about the young boys.

Bella also recognized the underlying pain in Esme’s voice because she left her lap and embrace the caramel-haired vampire into a tight hug. 

Throughout the week, young brunette learned about every one of their transformations except hers. She even learned about Edward’s through Carlisle, at least from his perspective. Rosalie had been hesitant on sharing her own story, not because she didn’t trust Bella, but because she could never tell when the right moment is.

And she kept the memories locked up for a reason. Once she opens Pandora’s box, it always takes a while for the memories to go back in the bolted compartment of her mind. 

“Rose?” Bella’s soft-spoken query snagged her away from opening said box.  
She gave her a small apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’m just. . . worried.” The hybrid grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the armchair, walking towards the stairs.

“Hey! Bellie bear, you promised me to show me some of those moves Pierre taught you!” Emmett whined and added a pout for an added effect. Alice elbowed him and admonished him under breath. “Fine. We can save it for another time.”

Bella rolled her eyes at his huff and Alice’s pealing giggling and continued to lead them up the stairs, towards her room. 

When they stepped into the room, Bella basically shoved her onto the bed, grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed, and snuggled into her left side. After a few moments of shifting before settling in what Bella deemed to be best position, which was similar to last week with the younger girl tucked into the crook of her neck and left hand playing with strands of blonde hair. Once again, the brunette was practically on top of her.  
It brought a sense of peace that Rosalie always envied with the mated pairs in their coven. And now that she accepted her bond with Bella, and getting to know her, she found it impossible to stay away. Leaving her would break her heart, something she never expected to experience.

“So are you going to tell me what’s eating at you?” Bella’s lips grazed her neck as she spoke, inducing a tickling sensation that made her smile. 

“It was just about the entire situation.”

Bella didn’t seem to by her because she felt her lips shift into a frown. “I don’t think that’s it. You don’t have to tell me. I just would like you to not feel as though you have to pretend.”

She pressed a quick kiss on her forehead in attempt at some reassurance. “It’s about my human life. Esme’s apology almost triggered some memories.” Rosalie took a pause. “I promise to tell you soon.”

“Okay.” One simple word cleared any residual anxiety. “Now. . . do you want to call my parents?”

A burst of laughter escaped her lips, completely ridding of any and all tension.  
“Come on! We can split it. You call Pierre and I tell Renee and Charlie. Please?” Bella stuck out her lower lip and batted her eyelashes.

“Nope. Not going to work.”

She dropped the innocent act and narrowed her eyes. “How about for a kiss?”

Even though she was tempted, she knew she would probably be able to steal one later so Rosalie shook her head. “Nothing could convince me to tell Pierre bad news, especially if it concerns you.”

The brunette only grumbled as she fumbled her phone out of her back pocket, muttering about being stuck with a cowardly, unsympathetic vampire for a mate. 

She played with Bella's hands as she talked with each parent, finding it amusing each time she had to explain the situation and the "Damn it, Bella" that followed.


End file.
